On July 10, EPA announced the release of "New Online Resources Giving Americans Total Transparency on the Issues of Geoengineering and Contrails." In the news release, EPA said the resources are to "address public questions and concerns about...geoengineering and contrails."
Concerns about Contrails
Condensation trails, or "contrails," are the line-shaped
exhaust clouds seen behind jet aircraft. Their engine exhaust is
composed of water vapor, carbon dioxide, particles, and other
emissions commonly found when combusting fuel.
The resources address "myths and misconceptions" regarding contrails. Notably, EPA is addressing concerns that "intentional release of dangerous chemicals or biological agents at high altitudes" are "attempts to geoengineer Earth or modify the weather." Neither EPA nor any other federal agency knows of any "contrail intentionally formed over the United States for the purpose of geoengineering or weather modification."
Resources on Geoengineering
Cooling the earth by reflecting sunlight back to space, usually
through injecting gases to form reflective particles, is a form of
geoengineering. EPA's resources discuss the current state of
science and research, including geoengineering's potentially
negative impacts of "depleting the ozone layer, harming crops,
altering weather patterns and creating acid rain."
At least one private company claims to be geoengineering the planet by releasing balloons filled with sulfur dioxide (SO2) and selling "cooling credits." EPA recently requested additional information from that company. EPA is also conducting an internal review to determine what authorities it may have to halt this activity, if it should request new authorities from Congress, or if another agency should take the lead in regulating geoengineering.
To see the news release, which has links to the resources https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-new-online-resources-giving-americans-total-transparency-issues
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