In Louisiana, Rep. Kimberly Landry Coates introduced a bill aimed at banning what she described as “chemtrails”—white lines left in the sky by airplanes that some believe are harmful chemical releases, The Associated Press reported.

The Rising Political Focus on a Debunked Conspiracy

Coates told fellow lawmakers, “I’m really worried about what is going on above us and what is happening, and we as Louisiana citizens did not give anyone the right to do this above us.”

Similar legislation has been passed in Tennessee and advanced in Florida, while over a dozen other states have introduced comparable bills, according to the AP. These measures, which purportedly blend conspiracy theories with factual elements, have raised concerns among experts about the erosion of democratic processes. Donnell Probst, interim executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, told AP, “Every bill like this is kind of symbolic or is introduced to appease a very vocal group, but it can still cause real harm by signalling that these conspiracies deserve this level of legal attention.”

Chemtrails vs. Contrails: What Science Says

The “chemtrail” theory dates back decades, often citing a 1996 Air Force report on potential weather modification technologies as early fuel for suspicion, AP reported. Proponents claim these trails are chemicals released for climate control, mind control or other secret purposes.

Ken Leppert, associate professor of atmospheric science at the University of Louisiana Monroe, clarified that these white streaks are actually contrails—condensed water vapor formed when airplane exhaust meets cold, humid air.  “There is no malicious intent behind” these streaks, AP quoted Leppert as saying.

Government agencies, including NASA and the EPA, have confirmed that contrails pose no health risks but can slightly influence atmospheric cloudiness and climate.

A 2016 scientific survey of 77 chemists and geochemists cited by the AP found no credible evidence supporting large-scale secret atmospheric spraying programs. Leppert summed it up, telling the agency, “It’s pure myth and conspiracy.”

Real Weather Modification Efforts: A Misunderstanding?

According to the report, some legislators have combined the chemtrail conspiracy with legitimate, though limited, weather modification techniques such as cloud seeding. This process involves dispersing substances like silver iodide to encourage rainfall or reduce fog. “It’s maybe really weak control of the weather, but it’s not like we’re going to move this cloud here, move this hurricane here, or anything like that,” Leppert further told AP.

Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry confirmed to the publication that cloud seeding permits have never been issued in the state, underlining the limited scope of such efforts.

Geoengineering and Solar Radiation Management

Rep. Coates cited NOAA charts about spraying heavy metals to reflect sunlight, a concept linked to solar radiation modification (SRM), a form of geoengineering under study. NOAA defines SRM as “deliberate, large-scale actions intended to decrease global average surface temperatures by increasing the reflection of sunlight away from the Earth.” However, no such geoengineering has been deployed, and research is ongoing, per the AP report.

Critics Warn of Distracted Lawmaking

Opponents of the chemtrail legislation have argued that it wastes time and focus that could be better spent addressing Louisiana’s pressing social challenges. State Rep. Denise Marcelle said, “I just feel like we owe the people of Louisiana much more than to be talking about things that I don’t see and that aren’t real,” as reported by The Associated Press.

As these bills move through statehouses, experts quoted by the agency have cautioned that legitimising conspiracy theories in law risks diverting attention and resources from critical real-world issues.