Some Kentucky officials and meteorologists are calling on the state legislature to pass a law prohibiting geoengineering, the practice of releasing chemicals into the atmosphere to influence climate and temperature.
Senator Steve Rawlings of District 11 said there are significant concerns about how these chemicals could harm the environment. Surveys show that most adults worry geoengineering and cloud seeding could be used before scientists fully understand their impact on 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,” Rawlings said.
Rawlings and others also highlighted potential risks to Kentucky 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,” he said.
Cloud seeding, a form of weather control that has been around for nearly 80 years, has yet to show clear benefits for the climate.
Across the U.S., 33 states are considering similar policies. Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida are the only states that have effectively banned geoengineering in their skies.
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