Letter to Lightman from Richard Nock
Dear Lightman,
I wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the local paper in Iowa on 1/23. I got a reply that suggested a Google search using the words 'weatherwise' and 'chemtrails'. The weatherwise web site gives a logical explanation of what chemtrails could be. They claim the long contrail streaks and the dispersing into artificial cloud cover effect are due to ice crystals and weather conditions. They say the evenly-spaced crisscross grid patterns are caused by busy flight patterns....(full text)

WeatherWise Article - Thomas Schlatter - NOAA meteorologist:
Before visiting Web sites concerning "chemtrails," I assumed that "chemtrails" was a new name given to contrails by environmentally conscious people who are concerned that subsonic jet traffic injects water vapor, carbon dioxide, other gases, and soot into the atmosphere at high altitudes. These substances can alter the chemistry and radiative properties of the atmosphere, the high-altitude cloudiness, and perhaps even the regional climate. I was very wrong. In visiting these sites, I learned that chemtrails is the name given to sky tracks left by the deliberate release, either by spraying or mixing with jet fuel, of substances not found in "ordinary" contrails. The releases are allegedly occurring in many countries without the knowledge or consent of the populace, and they are being blamed for respiratory and other health problems.... (full text)

Response from Lightman
Hi Richard,
Since BariumBlues was temporarily offline, I will answer your question for Lydia.
...I wish the simplistic "ice crystal contrail" explanation did explain the world wide phenomenea that we are seeing in the skies above. But this is not the case.
...At higher altitudes, plane and jet exhaust does indeed create ice crystals, and these contrails are rather substantial. An old WWII pilot whom I am acquainted with told me that these ice contrails had to be "avoided like the plague," or a pilot could flip the plane and crash after hitting one. The ice crystal theory simply does not explain the full range of evidence that we witness on a daily basis.
...The chemtrail grids that we see being generated, often occur below the altitude where ice contrails can form, and below the required temperatures. In addition the "chemtrails" begin as contrails, and then spread out into much larger cloud formations, ofter covering the skies from horizon to horizon..... (full text)