On May 29, Louisiana's House of Representatives passed a bill to ban what conspiracy theorists have called "chemtrails," becoming the latest state in the country to advance legislation inspired by a decades-old and disproven myth.
The white lines left in the wake of passing aircraft are accurately referred to as contrails and are in fact condensation produced when exhaust meets cool, moist, high-altitude air. As Newsweek has explained, SB46 stems from a debunked fiction that the government or other secretive group has been weaponizing airplanes to purposely release suspicious substances, alleging these to be present in those same trails.
In Louisiana, the House passed SB46 with 58 votes in favor to 32 opposed. Supporting the legislation, Representative Kimberly Landry Coates echoed conspiracy theories, saying, per Fox 8, "This bill is to prevent any chemicals above us in the air, specifically to modify the weather." Other false claims have included that the non-existent chemtrails have been used to intentionally spread disease and control populations.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has stated that the trails are a natural result of flight. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also addressed the chemtrails myth, stating in 2024, "No one creates or steers hurricanes; the technology does not exist."
Despite scientific evidence that government-weaponized "chemtrails" are not real, multiple states have put forth legislation to ban them. As the Associated Press recently reported, "Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a similar measure into law last year and one in Florida has passed both the House and the Senate." At least a dozen states "from New York to Arizona" have introduced legislation similar to SB46. The AP noted that proponents have mixed facts with falsities in drafting the bills.
Climate-related conspiracy theories can be very dangerous. They not only misinform the public, often stoking fear and potentially eroding trust in valid climate science, but they can also distract the public from the real problems that actually need legislative solutions.
While so-called chemtrails do not exist, toxic exhaust fumes from traditional planes can cause environmental harm, similar to exhaust from gas-powered cars. Policymakers hoping to mitigate the destructive extreme weather events resulting from the heat-trapping gases fueling human-caused climate change could help to protect the public and the planet by regulating the aviation industry's pollution output, including the emissions from private aircraft. Such regulations together with policies to encourage investments in clean energy-powered planes could be the path to sustainable air travel and improved air quality.
Having already passed the state Senate, in order to become law, the Louisiana bill will need to be signed by the governor. Residents who want to see the legislature back effective policies that really do protect constituents and drive clean, renewable innovations might consider sharing their opinions with elected officials.
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