The Chemtrail Conspiracy Explodes
In the first part of this series, we showed how the topic of modifying the weather at a large scale started being discussed in earnest. Fast forward to 2025, and stratospheric aerosol injections, geoengineering, and weather modification have become lightning rods in American discourse. What began as obscure scientific proposals in the 1990s has erupted into a mix of public SAI operations, legislative bans, and conspiracy-fueled outrage often tied to chemtrails. Recent news stories reflect a polarized nation grappling with fear-mongering over climate change, unregulated experiments, and high-profile endorsements, including a notable 2016 presentation by former CIA Director John Brennan. This second part of our series traces the evolution of these discussions, highlighting key developments and the ongoing tension between science and skepticism.
From 1990s to Now
The 1990s laid the groundwork with Pinatubo’s example, NAS reports, and early conspiracies. Today, SAI and geoengineering face a fractured landscape: states ban what they fear, experiments push limits, and figures like Brennan elevate the stakes. Cloud seeding continues in the West, with Wyoming’s 2015 report noting 5–15% snowpack gains (Wyoming Weather Modification Program, 2015). Yet, ethical concerns, rural resistance, and potential side effects—like altered rainfall, acid rain, or geopolitical fallout—loom large. As climate pressures mount, the “chemtrail” narrative thrives, and for good reasons.
John Brennan’s CFR Presentation
A pivotal moment came in June 2016, when former CIA Director John Brennan spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) about SAI’s potential. In his address, Brennan described SAI as a “method of seeding the stratosphere with particles that can help reflect the sun’s heat,” noting its “relatively low” cost and ability to reduce global temperatures (CFR Transcript, June 29, 2016). He framed it as a complement to emissions reductions, not a substitute, but warned of geopolitical and environmental risks.
It’s laughable that this post was community noted.
Here’s Brennan at the CFR bragging about SAI (stratospheric aerosol injection.) https://t.co/ZLmfc8yGV2 pic.twitter.com/aPuKp46wTL
— 🌪GALVATRON🥶 (@MaxwellsNoose) February 16, 2024
Brennan’s endorsement, from a national security perspective, lent credibility to SAI while fueling conspiracy theories, with many people citing his speech as evidence of government weather control.
Scientific Advances and Global Concerns
Scientific discourse has grown bolder. James Hansen’s November 2023 paper advocated SAI to counter rapid warming, sparking debate (The Guardian, November 2023). A February 2025 Nature study explored solid particles like alumina (neurotoxic) for SAI, aiming to reduce stratospheric heating but noting ozone risks (Nature, February 2025). Foreign Affairs (2024) warned that unilateral SAI could disrupt global climates, urging international governance. Public sentiment on social media often links SAI patents and programs like Harvard’s Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) to chemtrail conspiracies, reflecting persistent mistrust over these programs and whether or not they have already been implemented.
Experimental Progress and Backlash
Field experiments have intensified scrutiny. In April 2024, a San Francisco test atop the USS Hornet sprayed salt aerosols to study marine cloud brightening, a sunlight-reflection technique (SilverLining, April 2024). Reported by The New York Times, the project, which ran through May 2024, faced criticism for secrecy, with Shuchi Talati of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering calling for better public engagement. Harvard’s SCoPEx program planned to inject aerosols in Sweden, but was canceled in March 2024 after intense opposition, a blow to SAI research (Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program, March 2024). NOAA’s Richard Spinrad, in March 2024, emphasized modeling SAI’s oceanic impacts, underscoring the need for predictive science (NOAA Press Release, March 2024).
Startups like Make Sunsets have pushed boundaries, drawing EPA scrutiny in April 2025 for releasing 75 pounds of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere without oversight (The Washington Post, April 2025). The company defended its actions as urgent climate measures, but the incident highlighted risks of rogue geoengineering.
REPORT: The U.S. government is FINALLY addressing the elephant in the sky—geoengineering.
“The conspiracy theorists” were right again.
After decades of denial, mockery, and silence, the EPA—under Lee Zeldin’s leadership—is officially investigating Make Sunsets for launching… pic.twitter.com/vQNC8u4jd8
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) April 18, 2025
After Make Sunsets released sulfur dioxide into Mexico’s skies, the country quickly banned solar geoengineering as a threat to their national security.
Conspiracy Fears and Legislative Bans
In October 2024, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sparked widespread controversy by claiming on X that “they can control the weather,” specifically referencing government entities following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. She doubled down on these claims in January 2025, suggesting cloud seeding could be used to combat California wildfires, asserting, “They know how to do it.” Her comments drew sharp backlash, with President Joe Biden calling them “beyond ridiculous” and “stupid.” These remarks from a Congresswoman, who should know more about government capabilities than the average citizen, further fueled conspiracy theories, highlighting a persistent distrust in official narratives about weather and climate.
MTG was mocked for her weather-control claims. Now Florida has a new bill to ban ‘weather modification’ | The Independent https://t.co/OZ2JRbLxl2
— Dr David Cartland BMedSci MBChB MRCGP (2014) (@CartlandDavid) December 7, 2024
State-level pushback has dominated recent headlines. In April 2025, Florida’s Senate passed SB 56, banning the “injection, release, or dispersion” of chemicals to alter climate or weather, with third-degree felony penalties and $100,000 fines (Florida Senate, April 3, 2025). Sponsored by Senator Ileana Garcia, the bill responded to conspiracy theories about “chemtrails” and concerns over Biden-era experiments. Tennessee’s 2024 ban, led by Representative Monty Fritts, targeted chemical releases for weather control, citing federal aerosol research as evidence of intent (Tennessee General Assembly, April 2024). Alabama’s March 2025 legislative discussions echoed these fears, amplified by figures like HHS chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed geoengineering bans on social media in March 2025.
🚨RFK Jr: #Chemtrails are in Jet Fuel🔥
Last night:
"It's done, we think, by DARPA & a lot of it now is coming out of the jet fuel."
"We're bringing on somebody who's going to think only about that, find out who's doing it, & holding them accountable."#Geoengineering pic.twitter.com/nFp3UyQdY0— Jim Lee (@climateviewer) April 29, 2025
With a high-level government official saying that it is likely DARPA adding chemicals to jet fuel to create chemtrails, is this really a conspiracy theory anymore?
Even the president of the United States admits that “maybe” the government is spraying the people.
"MAYBE WE ARE SPRAYING SOMETHING!" 💨💨💨💨💨💨✈️#Chemtrails are what they spray @realDonaldTrump, now let's get to the bottom of it. pic.twitter.com/TGNWyexY6u
— Chemtrailcity (@Chemtrail101) April 6, 2025
Conclusion
From 1990s theory to 2025’s fevered debates, the story of SAI and geoengineering is one of unbridled scientific ambition colliding with righteous public fear. The quiet proposals of the past have turned into powerful people claiming the authority to play God with our weather, whether we like it or not. As experiments advance and bans multiply, the “chemtrail conspiracy” will continue to be an important battleground for the future of our world. As much as the ignorant wish to pretend like this isn’t a serious discussion, people in the highest positions of power within the US government know what’s at stake.