Is ‘geoengineering’ secretly spoiling the UK’s summer weather? No, confirms BBC Verify

The jet stream shifted south of the UK this June, bringing a dip in temperatures and a rise in online conspiracy theories that ‘geoengineering’ was secretly responsible, reports BBC Verify, the Beeb’s anti-disinformation news service.

Mentions of #GeoEngineering on X, formerly known as Twitter, have more than doubled worldwide since January, compared with the last six months of 2023. The many false claims made include the idea that ‘geoengineering’ is changing the UK weather through cloud seeding and ‘chemtrails’.

The Centre for Climate Repair’s Dr Ramit Debnath, who researches public attitudes to geoengineering online, is quoted in the article, warning that conspiracy theories like these can negatively impact the funding of legitimate research projects because of a perceived 'controversy'.

“It’s this whole idea that someone is trying to control our natural resources, our environment - and that, through that intervention, we are trying to control or take away people’s freedom,” he says.

You can read the full article from BBC Verify here.