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| - By: Klara Širovnik
August 29 2024
Chemtrails are a debunked conspiracy theory.
An X account called Concerned Citizen, which is known for spreading conspiracy theories and misleading information, shared a post with a video that claimed to show "chemtrails." The video stated that pilots of planes allegedly dropping toxic chemicals are paid more than any other pilots.
In response, American politician RFK Jr. expressed his intention to "fight this crime." His comment has received more than 4.1 million views, 16,000 likes, and 2,600 comments (while the original post was seen by only about 1.1 million people and liked by 12,000).
In his comment, RFK Jr, who withdrew from the presidential race last week and publicly endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump, appeared to legitimize the verifiably non-existent "chemtrails." Numerous credible sources confirm that chemtrails are not real.
Since chemtrails are not recognized as a real phenomenon in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, they are not identified as crimes or other violations in legislative bodies and/or documents. As a result, it is inaccurate to refer to them as a "crime."
In the post that Kennedy's comment appears to legitimize, the user goes on to point out that remotely piloted aircraft, as well as human pilots, also leave chemtrails in their wake. The chemtrail theory, which refers to the idea that governments or other parties are engaged in a secret program to add toxic chemicals to the atmosphere, is old and has been debunked many times (Logically Facts has also addressed it here, here, and here). So far, official declarations of the non-existence of chemtrails have not deterred chemtrail theorists.
So-called "chemtrails" are actually condensation trails formed by water vapor emitted by aircraft engines, which condenses into ice crystals under certain atmospheric conditions. As we have previously written, extensive research, including studies by the University of California, Irvine, and the Carnegie Institute of Science, has shown that these trails can be explained by known physical and chemical processes. 76 out of 77 atmospheric scientists found no evidence of secret spraying programs.
The chemtrail endorsement is the latest in a long line of Kennedy's attempts to spread misinformation, including previously promoting conspiracy theories about vaccination such as the idea that vaccines are linked to autism. He has also claimed that Wi-Fi causes cancer and "leaky brains," that antidepressants are to blame for school shootings, that chemicals in the water supply could turn children transgender, and that AIDS may not be caused by HIV.
Known for spreading false information, Concerned Citizen is the highest-ranking user on the Community Notes Leaderboard. The account's posts have previously been flagged by fact-checking organizations for spreading incorrect information on many topics, including vaccines, protests, and directed energy weapons.
Screenshot of the Community Notes Leaderboard. (Source: Community Notes Leaderboard/Screenshot)
As the chemtrails conspiracy theory has been repeatedly debunked by evidence, and both the author of the post and RFK Jr have a long history of peddling misinformation.
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