Florida bill moves to ban weather modification amid ‘chemtrails’ conspiracy

The Florida Senate passed a bill that would ban weather modification projects

which have been called chemtrails, by some conspiracy theorists who believe these efforts are for nefarious purposes, undisclosed to the general public

This measure aims to prohibit the release of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere

with the intent of altering the climate, and would set up a system where reports of such activities

are directed to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for further investigation

Under the bill, individuals or corporations engaged in geoengineering or weather modification could face third-degree felony charges with penalties of up to $100,000 in fines

Aircraft operators or controllers found in violation could be fined up to $5,000 and face up to five years in prison

The legislation sponsor, Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia of Miami, argues current weather

modification activities lack regulation at both the state and federal levels and cited concerns

about various geoengineering techniques including rock weathering solar radiation modification and cloud seeding as reasons for legislative action Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he in favor of the bill

and his state will not, quote, indulge this nonsense. People got a lot of kooky ideas that

they can get in and put things in the atmosphere to block the sun and save us from climate change

We're not playing that game in Florida. The debate over geoengineering has been fueled by

conspiracy theories surrounding so-called chemtrails, with some believing these activities or actually the government, deliberately spraying harmful chemicals or bioagents into the atmosphere

Although these claims have been debunked by scientists, skepticism regarding weather modification persists

as studies have shown that 60 percent of online discussions about geoengineering are centered around conspiracies

Legislation similar to Florida's has also been introduced in Alabama, and Tennessee passed a ban on the release of airborne chemicals in early 2024

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has also voiced support for state-level bans on geoengineering

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Jack Elmer