Contrails Conspiracy Theory

710 Words2 Pages

Conspiracy theories can have a lasting influence on believers and the skepticism of a population. The Skeptic article chosen is about chemtrails conspiracy theories. The argument the author produces is that this conspiracy theory is false and that there is no good supporting evidence to prove the existence of chemtrails. The chemtrails conspiracy theory originated from contrails, which are the white streaks of cloud that planes leave behind. The conspiracy theory began with a farmer named William Wallace who noticed these contrails and thought they were poisoning people with chemicals because he and his wife felt sick. The main point that the author makes throughout the article is that correlation does not equal causation. Wallace sent a video …show more content…

His purpose was to disprove the conspiracy theory and to convince the reader that the ‘evidence’ of the existence of chemtrails is insufficient. The author presented his argument by listing the reasons the advocates believe in chemtrails and then disputing each point by discussing the science of contrails and including common sense. For example, he argues that spraying chemicals thirty thousand feet into the atmosphere would not be an efficient way of poisoning a population because the winds can blow particles thousands of miles away before settling to the ground. The author seems to appeal to an audience that has a scientific and realistic approach to thinking. He has a sarcastic tone throughout the article which could be perceived as him not taking the conspiracy theory seriously. For example, he regards the theory as strange and says “Chemtrails have supposedly been poisoning us for two decades!”. Towards the end of the article, the writer believes he has disproven the conspiracy theory and focuses more on the real environmental threat that contrails are causing. He makes sure to draw a line between real and imaginary. The emphasis on the environmental factors and the growing emission conveys a concerned outlook and may motivate the reader to help the planet and make a difference instead of blaming any illness or problem on a …show more content…

He just disputes the conspiracy theory claims by stating what makes logical sense. Due to the writer’s bias towards the subject, the opposing views are stated in a way that sounds illogical or uneducated. He does, however, include a fair amount of arguments of the believers. Although the author takes a condescending attitude throughout the article, his approach is reasonable. The perspective of the believers is recognized and explained in a fair-minded way. Overall, the author’s arguments are sound and provide reasonable evidence to disprove chemtrails. This conspiracy theory has the potential to be the subject of a future research paper. Although this author strongly disagrees with it and rejects all “evidence”, other sources can be found to explore additional arguments. Also, the history of this theory can be thoroughly discussed as a common example of how most conspiracy theories come to be. The only potential problem area that can occur is that simple scientific facts can easily shut down this conspiracy theory. Approaching this paper with an open-mind and developed research is important in dissecting this conspiracy theory in the

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