Of Chemtrails and Conspiracy Theories
Tuesday July 1, 2008
The Abilene Reporter-News just ran a special feature on chemtrails -- in conspiracy lore, a malevolent form of contrail (jet airplane condensation trail) consisting of chemicals dispersed on purpose into the atmosphere to effect weather change, population control, biological weapons testing, or all three -- inspired by the current popularity of a scaremongering YouTube video entitled "Danger in the Sky - The Chemtrail Phenomenon."
Despite being dismissed as a "hoax" by the U.S. Air Force, chemtrail conspiracy theories have persisted since the mid-1990s, thanks in large part to the Internet rumor mill. Proponents, including McBreen, say the anomalous aerial phenomena observed in connection with alleged high-altitude chemical spraying simply can't be explained in terms of standard jet airplane condensation trails. The Air Force and other skeptics beg to differ. Some even describe the theories as "paranoid."
In a sidebar to the Reporter-News story, Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis likens conspiracy theories in general to the pseudoscientific concept of intelligent design. Both proceed, Ellis says, from the assumption that "the world that we see is not a complex system of random or near-random events," but rather a product of the machinations of unseen forces -- in the case of chemtrails, "a group of very clever, evil people who are working behind the scenes."
Ironically, notes Ellis, the broad dissemination of conspiracy theories via the Internet may ultimately weaken their impact rather than strengthen it. Traditionally such knowledge was regarded as arcane, circulating via "tight-knit conduits" among like-minded readers, and was even held to be dangerous. "On the other hand," Ellis told the Reporter-News -- and some of you who clicked on the link above may find this comforting -- "if you spread the knowledge around, the government can't kill everybody who watches a YouTube piece."
Read more about it:
• Danger in the Sky - The Chemtrail Phenomenon - YouTube video by Darrin McBreen
• Abilene Man Warns About the Dangers of 'Chemtrails' - Abilene Reporter-News
• Researcher: Contrails May Cause Problems - Abilene Reporter-News
• Conspiracy Theories: Making Order Out of Disorder - Abilene Reporter-News
• Chemtrails - Skeptic's Dictionary
• Contrails Facts - U.S. Air Force
Comments
Mr. Emery would be doing a better service if he investigated this more thoroughly. I’ve seen CHEMtrails laid down in tic-tac-toe formation, as well as in a “cent” symbol formation, and in places where there are no “flight patterns” or “delayed Christmas traffic”(as explained by the FAA.) There have been tests performed on the materials in these CHEMtrails. It is some nasty stuff. Things humans should not be ingesting or breathing.
What are you sources for the “tests” done on these materials?
Spare me from rumorscience.
Some people can find a conspiracy about a penny laying on the sidewalk!
The entire “chemtrail” paranoia is a figment of the internet’s imagination. It is built upon and entirely, utterly false premise- as stated here by the Abilene articles subject:
“A normal contrail “is supposed to dissipate over 30 seconds to three minutes,” McBreen said.”
This is simply false.
Most contrails do dissipate quickly. However, some contrails persist for hours and days…and even spread out into sheets of cirrus clouds. This has been observed, studied and understood for over 50 years. “Chemtrail” believers refuse to acknowledge this or even do to research on known contrail behavior…its been studied by scientists around the World….but “chemtrailers” continue to believe the lie that any contrail that doesn’t dissipate quickly is a “chemtrail”.
Its not hard to find out the true behavior of contrails…”normal” contrails- Just research:
supersaturated persistent contrail
and
contrail cirrus.
Persistent contrails have been around since WW2-
Just googling “chemtrails” leads one into a vast sea of speculation based on ignorance. Not a good recipe for truth.
See here for more info:
www.contrailscience.com
for some reason, when the words ‘conspiracy theories’ are mentioned, the rational mind shuts down. and your heading is a fine intro to narrowing the conversation to the smallest box possible. without looking at the real experiences of what people have seen, the HAARP technology of the military, and documented illnesses connected to what these jets are laying down.
here’s a site with over ten years of research.
http://www.carnicom.com/
check out who comes to visit this site: the military entities that toss it off as a hoax, paranoid, etc.
from your links, it’s obvious that you didn’t get far into the chemtrail research. but, then your site is called ‘urban legends’… you’re very clever, but not very wise.
Considering contrails were common with high flying B-17 and B-29 bombers during WWII the disinformation about chemtrails is totally absurd disinformation disseminated by paranoid psychotics in need of massive doses of thorazine.
See pics of WWII bombers leaving contrails here:
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/tech_ops/read.main/231377/
Too bad the chemtrail conspiracy is utter nonsense because the overpopulated planet is in need of a serious thinning.