Welcome to Meteorology Matters. We've got some
really interesting stuff to look at today. It's
kind of this whole mix of laws and atmospheric
science and how we're figuring out what's going
on up in our skies. Specifically, we're focusing
on this bill in Alabama, a law passed in Tennessee
just last year in 2024, and then diving into
how critical thinking plays into some beliefs
about what's happening in our atmosphere. Yeah,
it's this fascinating blend of policy and people's
perceptions. Our goal today is to understand
what's driving these developments, the motivations
and the logic behind them. And we want to do
it without getting bogged down in too much technical
stuff. Right. Exactly. Before we get going, just
a reminder that if you're interested in more
combos like this, you can follow meteorologist
Rob Jones. He's on Instagram, meteorologist,
TikTok, TV meteorologist, and on YouTube, subscribe
to Rob Jones Hurricane. That's also where you'll
find the playlist for this podcast, Meteorology
Matters. OK, let's jump right in. Let's start
with what's going on in Alabama. There's a bill
in the Alabama House Economic Development and
Tourism Committee, and it's about something they
call chemical weather control. Okay, so the first
thing that pops out is how Representative Butler
is talking about this. It seems like this bill
comes from a worry about too much federal power.
Like it's another example of the national government
forcing its will on Alabama. It kind of gets
at this larger issue of state versus federal
authority. Yeah, totally. And the main goal of
this bill is to actually ban any chemical weather
control activities from happening inside Alabama's
borders. It's a pretty strong statement. It's
interesting. The first draft of the bill didn't
have any punishments for breaking it, but they
recently changed it to make it a Class A misdemeanor.
And that comes with a big $100 ,000 fine. That's
a big jump in how serious they're taking this.
Definitely sends a message. that they're serious
about stopping this, at least from Representative
Butler's side. The bill also wants to set up
a way for people to report if they think someone's
breaking the rules. And they're thinking of making
an Alabama Air Pollution Control Fund run by
the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
Looks like they're trying to create a whole system
to track and enforce this. But not everyone's
on board. Representative Witt, he's the committee
chair, seems pretty doubtful that there's a real
threat here. He's saying they'll make decisions
based on evidence and facts. And personally,
he doesn't buy the idea that the government's
in on some big conspiracy to use chemtrails to
poison people. He even said he's been watching
airplane contrails his whole life, and to him,
that's pretty good proof that it's all just normal
stuff. He makes a really important point about
needing facts to back up any laws. What he's
seen himself... actually lines up with how scientists
say contrails form. We'll get into that a bit
more later. Oh, and he also brought up something
very practical. How could Alabama actually make
sure people follow this ban, especially when
flights start outside the state? That would be
a really tough thing to do. Now, there's Stephanie
Durnan. She's with Health Freedom Alabama, and
she's all for this bill. She points out that
more than 20 other states, including Florida,
have thought about making similar laws. And we
know Tennessee actually passed one. She argues
that these climate intervention experiments are
a real danger and Alabama shouldn't be a place
where they test these dangerous new geoengineering
schemes. What she's saying reflects a growing
worry among certain groups about the possible
risks of messing with the climate on purpose.
She uses the word geoengineering. And it might
be good to explain what that means, just briefly.
It's like an umbrella term for all these ideas
about technologies that could be used to change
Earth's client system intentionally. Stratospheric
aerosol injection, or SAI, is one example that's
gotten a lot of attention. We'll talk more about
that in a minute. And our source material actually
gives some background here. It mentions a report
from 2023 by the Congressional Research Service.
It's called Solar Geoengineering and Climate
Change. And this report talked about some of
the ideas they've come up with, like stratospheric
aerosol injection, which is where they basically
put particles into the stratosphere to bounce
sunlight back into space. The big point this
report makes is that as of May 2023, these were
mostly just theories. No one had actually done
any large scale experiments. The report also
mentions some potential benefits of SAI, like
maybe it could slow down the rise in global temperatures
and give countries time to switch from fossil
fuels. So this is the scientific context for
all this worry about geoengineering. Exactly.
But Dernan's worried about the health risks from
spraying unknown substances, especially because,
in her words, it's the same people who lecture
us about climate change who are doing it. Seems
like there's a lot of distrust there. And it's
interesting how this ties into all these bigger
conspiracy theories, like... The source material
mentions how after Hurricane Helene, there were
all these theories that the government was controlling
the weather, that they made the storm go a certain
way. And we even saw how meteorologist James
Spann said he was getting threats because of
misinformation about the hurricane. It really
shows how emotional these conversations can get,
especially when they're about extreme weather
events. People naturally want to understand why
these things happen, and they can create a situation
where these theories that aren't based on facts
spread like wildfire. Sometimes it even leads
to experts getting harassed, even though they're
just trying to share real information. Alright,
so let's move on to the law in Tennessee. We
talked about how they actually passed a law about
chemicals in the air. While they were debating
this bill, chemtrails did come up. But the guy
who introduced the bill, Monty Fritz, mostly
talked about cloud seeding. Fritz's reasoning
is pretty straightforward. He believes that if
you put chemicals into the atmosphere on purpose
to control the weather or the climate, it will
hurt people's health. He's basically being cautious,
worried about unintended consequences. Yeah,
that's how it seems. But the reaction to this
Tennessee bill from some people was pretty interesting.
This representative, John Ray Clemens, he's a
Democrat, he proposed a change to the bill as
a joke. Like he wanted to add in protection for
fictional creatures like Bigfoot. He was making
it clear that he didn't think the law was serious
at all. He even said some lawmakers believe in
QAnon and those vaccine conspiracies. So this
law kind of fits into a bigger picture of what
some people believe. That reaction from Representative
Clemens shows how skeptical some people are about
these bills, even making fun of them. They just
don't see any real danger. And what he said about
people believing other theories that aren't true
suggests there might be a pattern in how these
folks think, maybe a shared view of the world.
And get this, a spokesperson for Representative
Fritz defended the bill. They said it's meant
to make sure our air, water and soil are cleaner.
and that they're just giving people information
and letting them decide what to believe. It looks
like there's a big difference in how they see
the risks. Oh, it's also worth pointing out that
the people who spoke in favor of this bill in
Tennessee, some of them came from other states,
and they've supported similar laws elsewhere.
It makes you think there's a bigger movement
here, maybe even organized, about these worries.
That's important. It shows that this isn't just
one state being worried. It's more widespread.
People are traveling to support these laws, so
they must really believe it's a problem that
needs to be fixed right away. Okay, so now let's
get to the big question. Why are these chemtrail
conspiracy theories so popular? The source material
says that people started speculating about this
more when there were more airplanes and contrails
in the sky. Yeah, if you think about it, that
makes sense visually. More people see those white
lines hanging in the sky, so naturally they start
wondering what they are and what they're made
of. And if people don't really understand how
contrails form, all those lines in the sky become
fuel for theories. Right. And we're seeing a
comeback of conspiracy theories in general, not
just chemtrails, but stuff like those vaccine
theories, too. One source we looked at called
it being detached from facts and rational analysis.
That's a pretty strong way to put it. It sounds
like they think people are losing trust in the
usual sources of information. Maybe they're looking
for different explanations, even if those explanations
are backed up by evidence. That's a perfect situation
for conspiracy theories to grow. So for anyone
who might not know, the scientific explanation
for contrails is pretty simple. It's just water
vapor from the jet engines. Up in the cold air,
it condenses and freezes into ice crystals. Exactly.
Jet engines make water vapor, and it's super
cold up in the atmosphere. So those water molecules
end up condensing around tiny particles in the
exhaust, and they form ice crystals. That's what
we see as contrails. And depending on things
like the humidity and temperature, they either
disappear fast or stick around, and can even
spread out to look like those thin, wispy cirrus
clouds. But of course, the chemtrail conspiracy
theory says it's not just water vapor. They say
it's chemicals sprayed by the government for
some secret evil reason. The reasons change all
the time, from controlling the weather to trying
to control how many people there are. And if
you look at the root of it, people who believe
in the chemtrail theory are often worried about
real issues, things happening in society and
with the environment. They don't trust the government.
They worry about the planet. And sometimes they've
had health problems that they can't explain.
All that can make this theory attractive. It
gives them a simple answer for things that seem
complicated and scary. It makes things seem less
chaotic, you know? Yeah, and like we said, the
fact that you can actually see contrails really
makes the theory seem more believable. Someone
who believes in chemtrails even told researchers,
chemtrails have been the most interesting conspiracy
because it's right in front of our face and we
still choose to ignore it. really shows how convinced
they are by what they're seeing. Right, it's
like they think the evidence is obvious and anyone
who disagrees is just choosing not to see the
truth. That can lead to a really strong feeling
of certainty among believers. And within these
groups of believers, they all agree with each
other so much that it overrides any scientific
evidence that contradicts them. It's super hard
to change their minds with facts once those beliefs
are so ingrained. That's why these theories are
so hard to debunk. When everyone around you believes
the same thing, it validates your own beliefs
and makes you feel like you belong. It's a powerful
force that often outweighs any outside information
even if it's scientifically accurate. One of
the things we read said that critical thinking
skills are actually more important than just
being smart when it comes to figuring out if
these conspiracy theories are true. That makes
a lot of sense. Sure, intelligence helps you
process information, but critical thinking is
more about using reasoning skills, questioning
what you hear, looking for proof, and having
some knowledge about the topic. If you're lacking
in any of those areas, you're more likely to
believe things that aren't true, no matter how
smart you are. Exactly. And the research shows
that people who don't buy into these theories
are usually better at critical thinking. They
understand science better, and they're more likely
to think critically, to be skeptical, and look
at things rationally. And on the other hand,
the people who do believe these theories are
often more cynical. They go with their gut feeling
more than anything. It fits with what psychologists
say about how we think. We've got two ways of
thinking. One's more analytical and careful.
The other is more intuitive and emotional. conspiracy
theories seem to appeal to that second way of
thinking, the one that's driven by emotions.
And of course the Internet's a huge factor here.
It's this massive platform for all kinds of media
and it creates communities where these chemtrail
beliefs and worldviews are totally accepted and
encouraged. The Internet's a strange place and
it can actually make it harder to figure out
what's true. There's just so much information
and it's hard to know what's reliable. Plus,
you have these online communities that all interpret
things in the same way. So it becomes tough to
separate real information from misinformation.
People can get trapped in these belief systems
without even realizing it. And the research even
suggests that conspiracy theories can be a way
for people to show they're unhappy with those
in power, find a community of people who think
like they do, and even be entertained by trying
to uncover what they believe is the truth. Yeah,
those are real needs that conspiracy theories
can fulfill. It makes people feel like they have
some control in a world that feels overwhelming,
like they belong to a group. And it gives them
a story that explains why confusing or scary
things happen. But here's the problem. Just giving
people the facts to debunk a theory doesn't usually
work. That's mostly because the way they see
the world, their online friends, and how they
use the internet, it all stops them from even
seeing the evidence that proves them wrong. Or
they twist it to fit what they already believe.
It's called confirmation bias. people naturally
look for information that supports what they
already believe. And in online echo chambers,
that's even worse because everyone's sharing
the same ideas, so it's almost impossible for
real evidence to get through. And it's not uncommon
for people to believe in lots of conspiracy theories,
and the theories often connect with each other.
A classic example is how people link chemtrails
to HARP, the High Frequency Active or Rural Research
Program. Some people think HARP is part of a
government plot to control the weather, too.
And when these series all connect, it makes the
whole conspiratorial worldview stronger. If someone
believes one conspiracy, they're more likely
to believe others that are based on similar ideas
about secret agendas and powerful people you
can't trust. A lot of this comes from not trusting
authority figures, whether it's the government
or the mainstream media. This often comes from
bad experiences or a feeling that everyone's
corrupt. So they go to social media to get their
news because they see it as an alternative to
the mainstream narrative that they think is being
controlled. That lack of trust makes it really
hard for them to accept official explanations
or what scientists agree on. Social media gives
them a different source of information, where
they feel like they're in control of what they
see and who they trust. They tend to go for sources
that agree with their skepticism. And certain
types of media, like documents that look official,
pictures and videos, are really convincing to
believers, even if they're taken out of context
or just wrong. And this stuff gets shared over
and over on different platforms and in online
groups, creating those echo chambers we talked
about. And when you see the same information
repeated so many times, it starts to feel like
there's a ton of evidence, even if the original
source isn't reliable or is being presented in
a misleading way. Images and videos are especially
powerful because they have such a strong visual
impact. People often react to them emotionally
without stopping to analyze the information.
Research shows that figuring out why people believe
in these conspiracy theories is really about
understanding how they interact with each other.
These online communities are super important
for shaping how they make sense of the world.
And when someone stops believing in a theory,
it's usually because their whole worldview changes,
someone manages to debunk it in a way that really
addresses their worries, or maybe they just stop
getting as much out of those online interactions.
It's not just about presenting the facts. It's
about building trust, understanding why they
believe what they do, and having respectful conversations
outside of those echo chambers where their beliefs
are constantly being reinforced. So as you can
see, all this stuff about weather modification,
chem trails, and laws being made in places like
Alabama and Tennessee, it's all tied together
with science, politics, and how we take in information
and form our beliefs. It's a perfect example
of how scientific knowledge, personal beliefs,
and the government all interact. It's interesting
how the government's trying to deal with these
concerns, even when they're based on theories
that don't have any scientific backing. So what
do you think is the most important thing we've
learned today? What do you make of this connection
between science, people's beliefs, and the laws
being made? What really strikes me is how strong
these beliefs are, even though scientists have
proven them wrong, and how the internet, with
all its social aspects and technology, makes
these beliefs even stronger. It shows how important
it is to teach people to think critically and
how tough it is to get them to believe things
that are actually true in a world full of so
much information, some of it reliable and some
of it not. It definitely makes you wonder, how
can we get people to look at information more
critically while still respecting their opinions
and sticking to the facts? That's a tough one.
Yeah, it's definitely a tough problem and there's
no easy solution. We probably need to try a few
different things. help people understand how
to evaluate what they see in the media, encourage
open and respectful conversations where people
with different viewpoints can listen to each
other, and build trust and reliable sources of
information by focusing on shared values and
understanding. Well, thanks for joining us today
on Meteorology Matters for this deep dive into
a pretty complex topic. If this has piqued your
interest and you want to learn more, we encourage
you to check out the sources we talked about
today and keep working on those critical thinking
skills. And for more thought -provoking discussions,
don't forget to follow meteorologist Rob Jones.
He's on Instagram, Meteorologist, TikTok, TV
Meteorologist, and on YouTube, you can subscribe
to Rob Jones Hurricane. That's also where you'll
find the playlist for this podcast, Meteorology
Matters. We'll see you next time as we continue
to explore the fascinating world of science.