US lawmaker calls for ban on ‘deadly weather modification’
US House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who once claimed that the Democrats can “control the weather,” has announced a federal bill aimed at banning what she called the “deadly practice” of geoengineering.
The move follows devastating rainstorms and flash flooding in Texas that killed at least 50 people, including 15 children, with dozens still missing as of Saturday evening.
“I am introducing a bill that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity. It will be a felony offense,” Greene wrote on X.
“I have been researching weather modification and working with the legislative counsel for months, writing this bill,” she added.
Greene said her proposal mirrors Florida’s Senate Bill 56, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 20. The Florida law bans geoengineering activities and carries penalties of up to five years in prison and $100,000 in fines. It also requires reporting from public airports and allows residents to file complaints through a state-run portal.
“We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering,” Greene said. She named Representative Tim Burchett as a co-sponsor and urged support from both parties.
Greene made headlines last year when she claimed that the Democrats can “control the weather,” following Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that left at least 227 dead and forced more than 5 million people to evacuate. Then-President Joe Biden condemned the remarks as “beyond ridiculous” and “stupid,” calling them a “reckless, irresponsible, and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies.”
Since then, a number of states have advanced legislation targeting weather modification. Louisiana is the latest to pass a measure such as this, joining Tennessee and Florida, while more than a dozen others – including New York and Arizona – have introduced similar bills.
Lawmakers backing the bans have cited limited research on the long-term impacts of practices like cloud seeding and emerging solar radiation modification techniques. Some critics have even raised concerns about ‘chemtrails’ – a conspiracy theory that aircraft release chemicals for weather control and other nefarious purposes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has denied the existence of any government-led weather manipulation programs, insisting in a debunking fact sheet last year that no current technology available to humans can influence large-scale weather events.
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Amazon deforestation worsens in Brazil, Peru, data show
July 15 (UPI) -- The Amazon rainforest -- considered one of the world's most important climate regulators -- continues to face serious threats in 2025.
New data show that pressure on the ecosystem has intensified in Brazil and Peru during the first half of the year, while Colombia reports progress in curbing deforestation.
In Brazil, the National Institute for Space Research reported that 807 square miles of forest were lost between January and June -- a 27% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The spike was especially pronounced between April and June, coinciding with the dry season and a rise in illegal activities, such as large-scale cattle ranching. In May, the deforested area increased by a record 51% compared to the same month last year.
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"The loss of forest in May 2025 was largely due to wildfires. ... We are beginning to see a shift that confirms the warnings ... that the rainforest is being severely impacted by climate change," said João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
The trend threatens to reverse the gains made in 2023 and 2024, when deforestation fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade, driven by stronger enforcement and improved monitoring.
In Peru, while official figures for the first half of 2025 have not yet been released, the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project warns of ongoing primary forest loss in regions such as Ucayali and Madre de Dios, where illegal mining and wildfires have caused significant damage.
Peru lost more than 140,000 hectares, or 346,000 acres, of forest in 2024, and active hot spots detected in early 2025 suggest the trend is continuing.
According to the country's Ministry of Environment, deforestation in the first quarter of the year totaled 27,000 hectares, or about 67,000 acres -- a 33% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. The drop was even more pronounced in Amazonian national parks, where forest clearing fell by 54%.
The reduction was driven by a government-led multisector strategy that combined satellite monitoring, community agreements and joint operations that involve the military, environmental agencies and prosecutors.
However, a separate report by the Office of the Inspector General warned that forest clearing continues in remote areas, with more than 88,000 hectares, or 217,000 acres, affected between October 2024 and March.
The upcoming COP30 summit, scheduled for November 2025 in Belém do Pará, Brazil, could be critical for setting commitments and securing concrete funding to protect the Amazon, which is essential for maintaining climate stability, not only for South America, but for the entire planet.
