(The Center Square) – Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she wants to stop companies from “modifying the weather.”
In her proposal, it would be a felony to inject, disperse or release chemicals into the atmosphere with the purpose of modifying weather patterns.
“I have been researching weather modification and working with the legislative counsel for months writing this bill,” Greene said on social media. “We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requires companies participating in weather modification activities to file a report 10 days before its occurrence. Nine activities are identified as weather modification activities on the website, including “releasing electrically charged or radioactive particles, or ions, into the atmosphere” and “using lasers or other sources of magnetic radiation.”
Cloud seeding, which is the “release of chemicals in the atmosphere in an effort to have water condense or freeze on them and become heavy enough to produce rain,” is also considered a weather modification activity. Contrails, which are “condensed products of combustion and vapor generated by airplanes traveling at higher altitudes where the atmosphere is colder,” are not monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Greene said her bill is similar to a Florida one signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida’s Senate Bill 56 repeals any state permits for geoengineering or weather modification. Anyone convicted of violating the law could be sentenced up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
A provision taking effect on Oct. 1 would require all publicly owned airports to report aircraft with weather modification or geoengineering equipment.
Greene said U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who responded to the bill with a “Let’s roll Chairlady,” is cosponsoring the bill.
“This is not normal,” Greene said. “I want clean air, clean skies, clean rain water, clean ground water, and sun shine just like God created it! No person, company, entity, or government should ever be allowed to modify our weather by any means possible!”
