Proposed 5-Year Prison Term, $100K Fine for Blocking Sunshine

Susan Ferrechio | April 29, 2025

(The Washington Times) — 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.

Gov. Ron DeSantis backs the legislation — but not conspiracy theories about mind control. If signed into law, Florida will follow Tennessee in prohibiting geoengineering experiments aimed at modifying the weather and reducing the impact of climate change.

Eight other states have introduced measures to ban chemtrails 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,” Mr. DeSantis said, explaining his support for the measure. “We’re not playing that game in Florida.”

However, environmentalists have proposed bioengineering hacks to dim the sun to stop global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency is now investigating a company using hot air balloons to inject sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, calling it “sunscreen for the Earth.”

A British government agency earlier this month announced it will 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 away from Earth’s surface.

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

Ms. Garcia sponsored Florida’s anti-chemtrail bill. It passed the GOP-led Senate earlier this month and is awaiting consideration in the House, where a related measure is in the works.

The Senate bill prohibits 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.

The bill provides an outlet for the chem-trail obsessed: It would establish a government email hotline for those who believe they’ve 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 filled with dangerous chemicals that can make people sick and even 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.

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

The state, opponents of the legislation warned, will 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, but say it’s 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.”

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

During a hearing on the Senate measure this month, witnesses sought to dispel the tin-foil-hat image of those who are fighting to prevent chemical spraying in the skies.

Several witnesses claimed airplanes are already dumping nanoparticles of silver iodide, silver dioxide, aluminum, barium, strontium, cadmium, polymers and micro plastics into the air over Florida in an attempt 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,” Bradford L. Thomas, a retired judge, testified.

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 earlier this month. “Those heavy metals, we know scientifically, cause major health issues.”

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

According to the company website, it has launched 147 balloons and delivered 128,000 cooling credits to more than 800 customers.

The company 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!”

Sulfur dioxide is regulated by the EPA. It can harm the respiratory system, lead to acid rain, and form particles that harm health and impair visibility. Company officials did not immediately 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.”