Happy Chemtrails to You: Scientists Debunk Fringe Theory
76 out of 77 scientists agree: chemtrails are nonsense. I bet some of you are angrily typing in comments to this video right now. And some of you are probably hoping this puts an old fringe theory to rest. And the rest of you are saying “What the heck is a chemtrail?” Have you ever seen long trails left behind by jet aircraft flying high in the sky?
Those trails are called contrails, which is short for condensation trails. They form from the water vapor in aircraft exhaust. This is similar to when clouds form from your breath on a cold day. The air from your lungs is warm and damp. The water vapor in your breath condenses as it hits the cold air. But these breath-clouds evaporate quickly. Contrails can last for hours. What gives? The length of time a contrail holds its shape depends upon the humidity in the atmosphere. A contrail in humid air will hold its shape longer than one in drier air. If the air is particularly dry, no contrail will form at all. But people have proposed that those trails are actually evidence of a secret, wide-area, high-altitude spraying program. Some posit that the culprit is a government agency and others say it's a corporation or other private group. Typically, the claim is that the chemicals are meant to subjugate the population in some way, through public health, crops, or weather control. And frequently they try to make a connection between chemicals found in soil and the trails in the sky.
But according to a recent study published in Environmental Research Letters, that's just not the case. The study involved 77 scientists specializing in either atmospheric chemistry or geochemistry. The experts evaluated information that supporters of the chemtrail theory cite as evidence of a conspiracy. 76 of those scientists said that there was no evidence supporting chemtrail claims. They said that the data could more easily be explained by our understanding of condensation and the natural processes that deposit material on the Earth's surface. So can we put this fringe theory to bed? Even the researchers who organized the study think that's too ambitious. As they said in their report, “Our goal is not to sway those already convinced that there is a secret, large-scale spraying program — who often reject counter-evidence as further proof of their theories — but rather to establish a source of objective science that can inform public discourse.” So think of this study as a preventive measure. For people convinced that something hinky is going on, this study will serve as more proof of a cover up. But for those still forming an opinion, it could shed a little light on the subject.
Those trails are called contrails, which is short for condensation trails. They form from the water vapor in aircraft exhaust. This is similar to when clouds form from your breath on a cold day. The air from your lungs is warm and damp. The water vapor in your breath condenses as it hits the cold air. But these breath-clouds evaporate quickly. Contrails can last for hours. What gives? The length of time a contrail holds its shape depends upon the humidity in the atmosphere. A contrail in humid air will hold its shape longer than one in drier air. If the air is particularly dry, no contrail will form at all. But people have proposed that those trails are actually evidence of a secret, wide-area, high-altitude spraying program. Some posit that the culprit is a government agency and others say it's a corporation or other private group. Typically, the claim is that the chemicals are meant to subjugate the population in some way, through public health, crops, or weather control. And frequently they try to make a connection between chemicals found in soil and the trails in the sky.
But according to a recent study published in Environmental Research Letters, that's just not the case. The study involved 77 scientists specializing in either atmospheric chemistry or geochemistry. The experts evaluated information that supporters of the chemtrail theory cite as evidence of a conspiracy. 76 of those scientists said that there was no evidence supporting chemtrail claims. They said that the data could more easily be explained by our understanding of condensation and the natural processes that deposit material on the Earth's surface. So can we put this fringe theory to bed? Even the researchers who organized the study think that's too ambitious. As they said in their report, “Our goal is not to sway those already convinced that there is a secret, large-scale spraying program — who often reject counter-evidence as further proof of their theories — but rather to establish a source of objective science that can inform public discourse.” So think of this study as a preventive measure. For people convinced that something hinky is going on, this study will serve as more proof of a cover up. But for those still forming an opinion, it could shed a little light on the subject.
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