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The chemtrail conspiracy theory holds that some condensation trails (contrails) are actually toxic chemicals or biological agents deliberately sprayed at high altitude for a purpose undisclosed to the general public. Versions of the conspiracy theory circulating on the internet and on some radio talk shows theorize that this activity is directed by government officials, and federal agencies have received thousands of complaints from people who have demanded an explanation.^[1] The existence of chemtrails has been repeatedly denied by government agencies and scientists around the world.^[2]

The Air Force has stated that the theory is a hoax which "has been investigated and refuted by many established and accredited universities, scientific organizations, and major media publications".^[3]

The term chemtrail does not refer to common forms of aerial spraying such as crop dusting, cloud seeding or aerial firefighting. The term specifically refers to aerial trails allegedly caused by the systematic high-altitude release of chemical substances not found in ordinary contrails, resulting in the appearance of supposedly uncharacteristic sky tracks. Believers of this theory speculate that the purpose of the chemical release may be global dimming, population control, or weather control and claim that these trails are causing respiratory illnesses and other health problems.^[4]

Contents 1 Overview 2 Contrails vs chemtrails 3 Government conspiracy 4 Further reading 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Overview

The chemtrail conspiracy theory began to circulate in 1996 when the United States Air Force (USAF) was accused of releasing unknown substances from aircraft which were creating unusual contrails.^[3] The Air Force says the hoax was fueled in part by authors citing an Air University strategy paper entitled Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025 to allege the Air Force was currently conducting a secret government program to modify the weather.^[5] The paper was presented in response to a military directive to anticipate future developments and strategies for maintaining the United States' military dominance in the year 2025 and identified as "fictional representations of future situations/scenarios".^[5] The Air Force denies it is actually conducting such experiments or that such experiments are planned, and points to the refutations presented by accredited universities, scientific organizations and major news organizations as further evidence that chemtrails do not exist.^[3][6]

Various versions of the chemtrail conspiracy theory have circulated through internet websites and radio programs.^[7] In some of the accounts, the chemicals are described as barium and aluminum salts, polymer fibers, thorium, or silicon carbide.^[8] In other accounts it is alleged the skies are being seeded with electrical conductive materials as part of a massive electromagnetic superweapons program based around the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP).^[9] Those who believe in the conspiracy say the chemtrails are toxic,^[10] but the reasons given by those who believe in the conspiracy vary widely, spanning from military weapons testing, chemical population control, to global warming mitigation measures.^[11] Federal agencies and scientists have consistently denied that chemtrails exist, insisting the sky tracks are simple contrails.^[8] As the chemtrail conspiracy theory spread, federal officials were flooded with angry calls and letters.^[8] A multi-agency response to dispel the rumors was published in a 2000 fact sheet by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a step many chemtrail believers have interpeted as further evidence of the existence of a government cover-up.^[8]

Proponents of the chemtrail theory say that chemtrails can be distinguished from contrails by their long duration, asserting that the chemtrails are those skytracks that persist for as much as a half day or transform into cirrus-like clouds.^[11] Air Force officials counter these are typical characteristics of contrails given certain surrounding atmospheric conditions, and their duration and rate of dissipation can be accurately predicted when humidity level and temperature are known.^[3]

[edit] Contrails vs chemtrails

Contrails can be visible for several hours ^[3] but chemtrail conspiricists try to differentiate chemtrails from contrails by describing them as streams that sometimes persist in the sky for hours, and which sometimes trace criss-crossing, grid-like patterns, or parallel stripes which eventually blend to form large clouds. Another feature that proponents say distinguishes a chemtrail from a contrail is the presence of visible color prisms in the streams, unusual concentrations of sky tracks in a single area, or lingering tracks left by unmarked or military airplanes flying in atypical altitudes or locations.^{[7][8][12][13]}

Government agencies and other experts on contrail or atmospheric phenomena deny the existence of chemtrails, insisting that the characteristics attributed to them are simply features of contrails responding differently in diverse conditions in terms of the sunlight, temperature, horizontal and vertical wind shear, and humidity levels present at the aircraft's altitude.^{[7][8][12][13][3]} These experts respond that what appears as patterns such as grids formed by contrails result from increased air traffic traveling through the gridlike United States National Airspace System's north-south and east-west oriented flight lanes, and that it is difficult for observers to judge the differences in altitudes between these contrails from the ground.^[3] The jointly published fact sheet produced by NASA, the EPA, the FAA, and NOAA in 2000 in response to alarms over chemtrails details the science of contrail formation, and outlines both the known and potential impacts contrails have on temperature and climate.^[14] The USAF produced a fact sheet as well that described these contrail phenomena as observed and analyzed since at least 1953. It also rebutted chemtrails' theories more directly by characterizing the theories as a hoax and denying the existence of any chemtrails.^[8][3]

Patrick Minnis, an atmospheric scientist with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is quoted in USA Today as saying that logic is not exactly a real selling point for most chemtrail proponents: "If you try to pin these people down and refute things, it's, 'Well, you're just part of the conspiracy', he said."^[7]

In 2001, United States Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced legislation that would have permanently prohibited the basing of weapons in space, and he listed chemtrails as one of a number of exotic weapons that would be banned.^[15] Proponents have asserted that because explicit reference to chemtrails was entered by Congressman Kucinich into the congressional record, this constitutes official government acknowledgement of their existence.^[13][16] But that bill received an unfavorable evaluation from the United States Department of Defense and died in committee,^[17] with no mention of chemtrails appearing in the text of any of the three subsequent failed attempts by Kucinich to enact a Space Preservation Act.

[edit] Government conspiracy

Though mainstream news sources rarely report on any public worry over contrails, concerns have spread in North America, Europe and Australia largely by accounts reported in hundreds of private websites now dedicated to the chemtrails conspiracy theory. Radio host Art Bell, who was one of the first to publicize these concerns to a wider audience when he covered the conspiracy theory on his paranormal-themed radio program in 1999, also set aside a section of his website to the topic. Many websites primarily focused on chemtrails as well. These websites welcome submissions from the general public, including written eyewitness accounts and photographs. Author Nigel James wrote that a "deep-rooted suspicion toward government" seems strongly associated to concerns expressed in many of these accounts, and that chemtrails activists distrust the information and reassurances provided by government and military agencies. These activists frequently cite such programs as Operation Cumulus and HAARP as proof that governments intentionally distribute harmful chemicals through aerial spraying.^[18]

Photographs of skytracks submitted by the general public and downloaded from government websites circulate through these websites. Satellite and surface based photos of contrails copied from government websites are frequently cited on those websites as photographic examples of chemtrails and further evidence of government orchestrated efforts to conceal them. These photographs taken and labeled as contrails were taken by NASA and U.S. Air Force photographers and posted on their websites. They have each been recopied to chemtrail conspiracy websites and accused there of being photographic evidence of chemtrails.

Photograph used by the U.S. Air Force to illustrate typical contrail formation in their 2005 response to questions about chemtrails, Contrail Facts

NASA satellite image showing cirrus cloud formation over southeastern region of the United States caused by contrails.

Contrails photographed at NASA Langley Research Center.

Contrails photographed in northern Virginia by NASA researcher Louis Nguyen.

[edit] Further reading

• Thomas, William, "Stolen Skies: The Chemtrail Mystery", Earth Island Journal, July 1, 2002
• Smith, Jerry E, "Weather Warfare: The Military's Plan To Draft Mother Nature", Adventures Unlimited Press, December 30, 2006

[edit] See also

• Aviation and climate change
• Crow Instability
• Aerial spraying
• Cirrus cloud
• Toxic Skies

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Chemtrails in the Skeptic's Dictionary.
• NASA Langley's Contrail Page
• EPA Non-road Engines, Equipment, and Vehicles pollution information
• NASA Presentation explaining the formation of and problems presented by persistent contrails

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