Well-Intentioned Caution Has QAnon Wing Of The GOP Fighting Fictitious "Chemtrails"

 Here, we go again.

Protecting the public or chemtrail lunacy? 
Sometimes shady lawmakers going after geo-engineering.
Not sure if public safety is the motive, or whether
catering to conspiracy-minded 
constituents is behind this.  

Some well intentioned caution is making the conspiracy theorists go into a tizzy again. This time it's back to the old "chemtrail" theme. 

GOP lawmakers in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and probably a few other places have latched on to the the idea of banning the release of chemicals from aircraft to modify the weather. 

It's a little tough to figure out if those proposing this type of legislation have honest public safety goals, or if they've signed on to this chemtrail stupidity.  

To review, chem trails aren't a thing, despite the intense blowback I'm going to receive on social media when the wing nuts read this post. 

Like most wacky conspiracies, this one starts with a whiff of actual fact. As Raw Story explains:

"The false belief that condensation trails left by high flying aircraft are actually trails of chemicals released by the government for nefarious reasons has become conflated with techniques being explored to reduce the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere."

Specifically, some scientists are beginning to looking into a field of research known as geo engineering. 

Says the Washington Post: 

"Scientists have suggested that spraying sulfur particles into the atmosphere could help reflect sunlight, cooling the planet, though the technology remains controversial and untested, as researchers worry about potential unintended consequences."

There are reasonable calls to more closely regulate climate modification schemes through federal laws and/or rule making. Which makes sense 

To be clear, nobody is taking planes up in the air to spray boatloads of sulfur Mostly because not enough is known about this idea to try it. 

However, some believers think this sulfur spraying is ongoing and widespread, despite the lack of evidence that it is happening. Of course people will believe anything. 

The legislation or proposed legislation in Tennessee and Pennsylvania expressly deal with weather and  climate, and not the wackadoodle claims of extreme chemtrail conspiracy theorists.

For instance, the Tennessee bill prohibits the release of chemicals "with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather or the intensity of sunlight."

At first glance, that sounds reasonable enough. Since we don't know whether we'd see unpleasant side effects from geo engineering to combat climate change, maybe we should hold off on any large scale atmospheric experiments. 

If you read between the lines of interviews with Tennessee lawmakers pushing the legislation, it seems like they're trying to have it both ways: Show intelligent concern over geo engineering, while giving a tacit nod to constituents who are into the chemtrail conspiracy theories. 

In Pennsylvania, State Sen Doug. Mastriano, who was the GOP gubernatorial candidate there he wants legislation because of a supposed proliferation of weather modification patents "owned by a combination of Federal Government Agencies, Non-Government Organized and large multinational corporations."

But apparently there's more to Mastriano's motivation than just that, 

Pennsylvania Capital-Star notes Mastriano has gone beyond just scientific concerns and has embraced the chemtrail conspiracy.

"In a November Facebook post with a photo of condensation trails in the sky above Chambersburg, Mastriano wrote, 'I have legislation to stop this.... Normal contrails dissolve/evaporate within 30-90 seconds.'"

Au contraire!, contrail man.  The water vapor in condensation trails often freeze, and depending on wind conditions, can linger in the sky for many  minutes or even hours. 

Some of the wackier types are conflating this climate geoengineering idea with this conspiracy theory over chemtrails.

As WaPo explains:

"The risk experts say, is that discussion of such unfounded claims may get in the way of real public discussion about solar geo engineering research. At the moment, chemtrails accusations interact and meld with concerns over legitimate academic research, creating more confusion and blocking further scientific research."

The chemtrail conspiracy crowd seems like it might be behind the scenes with the proposals in Pennsylvania and Tennessee and maybe elsewhere. Sort of a back door way of trying to "legitimize" their odd beliefs.

I'm all for being careful not to harm people when science is being done. Let's just not succumb to the conspiracy theorists among us.