Florida prepares to ban airplane ‘chemtrails’

Florida is on track to become the second state in the nation to ban “chemtrails,” a nickname for aircraft condensation trails crisscrossing America’s skies that some believe are laden with chemical or biological agents to control the weather or even people’s minds.

A Senate bill cleared the Florida Legislature on Wednesday. Gov. Ron DeSantis supports the measure but not the conspiracy theories about mind control. When he signs the bill into law, Florida will follow Tennessee in prohibiting geoengineering experiments aimed at modifying the weather and reducing the impact of climate change.

The legislation would prohibit the “injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance or apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of Florida for the express purposes of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight.”

Those caught attempting to alter the weather would face third-degree felony charges that carry a five-year prison sentence and fines of up to $100,000.

Eight other states have introduced measures to ban geoengineering amid growing public concern that the white vapor lines littering the sky are more nefarious than they appear.

“People have 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,” said Mr. DeSantis, explaining his support for the measure. “We’re not playing that game in Florida.”

Environmentalists have proposed bioengineering hacks to dim sunlight and stop global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a company using hot air balloons to inject sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The company calls its program “sunscreen for the Earth.”

This month, a British government agency announced it would begin experimenting with outdoor geoengineering to reduce the threat of climate change by artificially cooling the Earth. The experiment involves injecting particles into clouds to deflect the sun’s heat and radiation from the Earth’s surface.

“Not in Florida!” state Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Republican representing Miami, said on social media in response to news of the British geoengineering plan.

Ms. Garcia sponsored Florida’s anti-chemtrail bill, which passed the Republican-led Senate last month. A related measure is in the works in the House.

The bill provides an outlet for those obsessed with chemtrails. It would establish a government email hotline for those who believe they have spotted geoengineering activity in the state. It would also require Florida’s public airports to report aircraft equipped with devices that can release air contaminants into the atmosphere to change the climate.

Critics scoffed at the measure and accused Mr. DeSantis and Florida’s Republican-led Legislature of indulging conspiracy theorists who believe that high-altitude contrails left by passenger jets are really dangerous chemicals spewed by unknown villainous aircraft that can make people sick and lead to mind control.

Contrails, short for condensation trails, are formed as water vapor condenses around small dust particles surrounding airplanes or when water vapor from a jetliner’s engine collides with water vapor in the air.

Airlines for America, the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, declined to participate in this report.

The 2024 hurricane season stirred up unproven claims that geoengineering steered the intense storms to Florida.

Opponents of the legislation warned that the state would be bogged down investigating complaints about harmless contrails created by ever-increasing air traffic.

Environmental engineers in the United States are indeed studying methods of injecting particles into the stratosphere to cool the Earth. They said it is wrongly conflated with conspiracy theories about secret programs to spray toxic fumes from airplanes to harm or control people.

“We have not seen any credible evidence that chemtrails exist,” climate and solar engineering scientist David Keith wrote. “If we did see any evidence that governments were endangering their own citizens in the manner alleged in the chemtrails conspiracy, we would be eager to expose and stop any such activities.”

Advocates of the legislation to stop geoengineering don’t see a difference.

During a hearing on the Senate measure last month, witnesses sought to dispel the tinfoil hat image of those fighting to prevent chemical spraying in the skies.

Several witnesses said private or government airplanes are dumping nanoparticles of silver iodide, silver dioxide, aluminum, barium, strontium, cadmium, polymers and microplastics into the air over Florida to alter the environment.

“There is no question these are not jet aircraft flying commercial flights. These are airplanes flying and injecting aerosols into the sky in an attempt to dim the sun,” said Bradford L. Thomas, a retired judge.

State Rep. Kevin M. Steele, sponsor of the House measure, testified that chemtrails related to cloud seeding are proven to exist.

Nine states, but not Florida, use cloud seeding, an 80-year-old technique to increase precipitation. It uses silver iodide or salt particles dispensed from aircraft and ground equipment.

“I’m against heavy metals being sprayed over our state on every level,” Mr. Steele testified last month. “Those heavy metals, we know scientifically, cause major health issues.”

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has opened an investigation into Make Sunsets, a company launching balloons filled with sulfur dioxide to geoengineer the planet and sell “cooling credits.”

The company website says it launched 147 balloons and delivered 128,000 cooling credits to more than 800 customers.

The website describes the technology as “inspired by nature’s cooling wonders, like volcanic eruptions,” and said the balloons “carry precisely measured amounts of a naturally occurring substance into the stratosphere — think of it as sunscreen for the Earth!”

The EPA regulates sulfur dioxide, which can harm the respiratory system, lead to acid rain, and form particles that harm health and impair visibility. Company officials did not respond to an inquiry from The Washington Times.

“The idea that individuals, supported by venture capitalists, are putting criteria air pollutants into the air to sell ‘cooling’ credits shows how climate extremism has overtaken common sense,” Mr. Zeldin said. “Based on Make Sunsets’ responses to our information request, we will look into all our authorities to ensure that we continue maintaining clean air for all Americans.”