Geoengineering is the process in which the government and non-government organizations experiment with releasing chemicals into the atmosphere to influence climate and temperature. Some Kentucky officials and meteorologists are advocating to pass an act which bans such actions in the Commonwealth.
Senator Steve Rawlings of District 11 said there are many concerns regarding how these chemicals could negatively impact the environment. Survey results show a majority of adults are worried that geoengineering and cloud seeding will be used before it’s fully understood how they affect the earth’s ecosystems.
“I know some of you have been receiving so much correspondence and emails from our citizens. They really want this bill. And that's something we've experienced in the last few years. We have more people that are really concerned. Critics warn that techniques like aerosol injection may worsen air pollution or trigger severe weather events,” said Rawlings.
Rawlings, alongside many others, also expressed concern for how the materials and chemicals used in geoengineering could affect Kentucky’s agriculture.
“The chemical fallout of reflective materials or other chemicals is potentially toxic to Kentucky farmland, crops, animal agriculture and aquaculture. Potential SRM, that's solar radiation modification, results are not well understood and could be catastrophic affecting crop yields, energy production, human health, animal health,” said Rawlings.
Despite being around for nearly 80 years, cloud seeding, one form of weather control, has no evidence to prove its benefits to the climate.
33 US states have similar policies being discussed or in the works. Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida are the only states to effectively ban bioengineering in the skies above their land.