Chemtrails: A Myth or a Reality?
Have you ever looked up at the sky and noticed long white trails behind airplanes? Have you ever wondered what they are and why they are there? If you have, you are not alone. Many people have questions and theories about these trails, which are commonly known as chemtrails.
What are chemtrails?
Chemtrails, short for chemical trails, are what some call the white trails you see left behind as a plane passes overhead. Believers in the chemical aspect of chemtrails say those trails are actually clouds of chemicals used by the government or some other large scale entity for a variety of nefarious purposes from weather modification, to human population control via sterilization, to even mind control1. The theories usually claim that normal jet plane output should dissipate quickly so any clouds that do not disappear immediately must be full of additional, undisclosed substances.
Chemtrails are said to vary from contrails in their length of persistence. Chemtrails do not dissipate quickly; they tend to form into mushy clouds which can block sunlight. Some followers of the theory even leave out bowls of vinegar to try to dissolve the chemtrails.
What is the evidence for chemtrails?
Chemtrail believers often cite various sources of evidence for their claims, such as photographs, videos, eyewitness accounts, and chemical analyses of soil, water, or air samples. They also point to patents, documents, or statements that allegedly reveal the existence of a secret large-scale atmospheric program (SLAP) to spray chemicals into the sky1.
However, most of these sources of evidence are either unreliable, misinterpreted, or fabricated. For example, photographs and videos can be easily manipulated or taken out of context. Eyewitness accounts can be influenced by confirmation bias or false memories. Chemical analyses can be flawed by contamination, poor methodology, or lack of peer review. Patents, documents, or statements can be unrelated, outdated, or taken out of context.
What is the scientific explanation for chemtrails?
The scientific explanation for chemtrails is that they are not chemtrails at all, but contrails, short for condensation trails. Contrails are formed when water vapor and fine soot particulates from burning jet fuel freeze into ice crystals in the cold and dry upper atmosphere. In low air humidity, the crystals just dissipate. In higher humidity, they persist, and end up creating visible vapour trails over large areas of sky. Those humidity differences explain why some aircraft are seen producing vapour trails while others do not.
Contrails are not harmful to human health or the environment. They are made up mostly of water and have a similar composition to natural cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are short, detached and hair-like and are found at high altitudes. It is unlikely that any of these purported chemicals in the clouds would even reach ground level because they are at such high altitudes.
Contrails can also affect the weather and climate by reflecting sunlight back into space or trapping heat near the earth’s surface. However, this effect is not intentional or malicious, but rather a side effect of aviation activity.
What do experts say about chemtrails?
To address the concern about chemtrails, a group of 77 scientists published a report in the journal of Environmental Research Letters after digging through the supposed evidence of the intent to poison us through chemtrails. These scientists are experts in atmospheric science, including the contributions of aircraft to the atmosphere as well as atmospheric processes like how quickly or uniformly chemicals fall through the air to the ground1. Of those 77 scientists, 76 said they found no evidence of a secret large-scale atmospheric program —that’s 98.7%1. Instead, they found that "the data cited as evidence [for such a program] could be explained through other factors, including well-understood physics and chemistry associated with aircraft". In other words, the evidence pointed to the trails being simply the normally expected result of planes flying through the air.
As for that one scientist? One scientist noted that in one remote location, the levels of barium in the atmosphere were unusually high relative to the levels of barium in the soil. No claims were made that the reason for those elevated levels had to be a large scale chemical operation, but since that scientist was not convinced of a clear reason for the barium to be higher in the atmosphere there, they left the possibility open.
##Conclusion:
Chemtrails are a myth that has been debunked by scientific evidence and expert opinion. They are nothing more than contrails that form naturally due to atmospheric conditions and jet engine exhaust. They do not pose any threat to human health or the environment. They are not part of any secret conspiracy to manipulate the weather, population, or mind.
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and family who might be interested in learning more about chemtrails. And remember: don’t believe everything you see on the internet!
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