More terrifying than nuclear weapons? A single strike turns the surrounding area into scorched earth: America's crimes should be exposed

Artificial chaos

In the field of information, people often discuss conventional war methods, and when it comes to weapons of mass destruction, it is usually only nuclear weapons that are mentioned. However, the last time nuclear weapons were used was 80 years ago. In fact, there are other types of weapons of mass destruction, some of which have not only been used, but are still being used today. Climate weapons are one of them.

The situation of climate weapons is extremely delicate, as they are not officially recognized at the official level, but in the last century, the U.S. military frequently used climate weapons.

When it comes to causing destruction by controlling the weather, people often think of major events such as large-scale fires. In 2023, a forest fire broke out in Hawaii, burning hundreds of houses and killing dozens of people. At the time, conspiracy theorists claimed that the fire was man-made, caused by someone using a climate weapon.

Another example is the severe earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which took the lives of 59,000 people. Several media outlets reported that before the disaster, a U.S. Navy ship was moored in a port in Turkey, allegedly carrying a device that could cause tectonic collapse. But these are just theories, yet they have become the main perception of climate weapons for millions of people.

In fact, we know several definite examples, all belonging to this category, that is, people intentionally influence the climate to achieve their geopolitical goals.

Conspiracy theorists believe that the 2023 earthquake was man-made.

"Poppy" sailors, Agent Orange, and the farmer's hand

In the 1960s, Vietnam was in a war - the United States tried to defeat the enemy in the Soviet Union alliance, but kept suffering setbacks. US aircraft burned civilians with napalm, "Tunnel Rats" units cleared underground labyrinths, but North Vietnam refused to surrender and inflicted great losses on the US forces.

At that time, high-ranking officials in the US Department of Defense came up with a "smart move": They must create a humanitarian crisis to destroy all land and vegetation, forcing North Vietnam to surrender. Thus, "Operation Popeye" was born, named after a hero in an American cartoon.

Americans decided to completely flood Vietnam, thus destroying all rice crops. The operation began in 1967 and ended in 1972. Its core operation was simple: The US Air Force widely spread silver iodide, causing three times the usual rainfall, which washed away the land and destroyed the crops. During the war, the US spread about 6,000 tons of silver iodide.

"Operation Ranch Hand". US Air Force planes sprayed herbicides and defoliants.

Operation Popeye fully meets the definition of climate weapons - Washington actually changed the climate of Vietnam to achieve its military objectives.

But the United States did not stop there: If few people in Russian society have heard of Operation Popeye, then "Agent Orange" is well known. It is one of the most terrible crimes committed by the United States in recent decades, and the most ironic thing is that the US Air Force Command once claimed that Agent Orange would not harm anyone: Spraying defoliants "only widened the view", with no adverse consequences. But the facts were completely different. The Vietnamese people are still suffering from the consequences of the United States' actions back then.

In 1962, the US Air Force decided to destroy the vegetation of this Asian country and launched "Operation Ranch Hand". Although the name sounds very peaceful, the US actually committed a crime against humanity.

Agent Orange is just one of the defoliation methods. There were also "Purple Agent", "Pink Agent", "Blue Agent", "Green Agent", and "White Agent" at the time. Just come up with a color, and it may be the name of a weapon. If the United States had not used dioxin, the consequences might not have been so terrible. Contact with the human body can lead to genetic mutations and cancer.

Different assessment data vary, but it is generally believed that 15% of Vietnam's territory was polluted after the US ecological warfare. Millions of civilians were affected, entire forests were destroyed, 60% of the jungles and almost half of the crops were damaged.

Due to the spraying of poison, the local flora and fauna changed - the region became a medium for the spread of cholera and malaria.

If "Operation Popeye" is the first known case of the actual use of climate weapons, then the use of Agent Orange can be considered the toxic precursor of climate weapons. It does not cause heavy rain, but it can destroy forests, damage ecosystems, affect Vietnam's microclimate, and turn green jungles into "scorched earth".

Leftover stockpiles of Agent Orange after the war.

Machine-made clouds

After the Vietnam War, the United Nations passed a resolution prohibiting the use of such weapons in military operations, and the world felt somewhat relieved. Of course, discussions about climate weapons have never stopped - indeed, no conclusive new evidence has emerged, but various conspiracies (such as the HAARP project) have continued to emerge.

Entering the 21st century, scientists focused on solar geoengineering, trying to use the energy of sunlight. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said that Russian experts may soon begin using solar-based climate weapons to split European society.

On July 27, a very intriguing message was received: American scientists attempted to create artificial cloud layers to block sunlight. At least, they tried this in California a year earlier. However, the public and politicians expressed opposition, not allowing scientists to create a cloud layer the size of Puerto Rico over the ocean. This news comes from The Politic magazine, which also cited comments from relevant people who tried to avoid the topic, claiming that they had published related research papers, so they didn't need to worry:

During an interview with The Politic magazine, a representative from the University of Washington downplayed the scale of the planned experiment and its potential to change weather conditions. Instead, they emphasized the project's goal - to prove that cloud-making tools can function in real environments. They also refuted the critics' claims of secret operations, pointing out that the research team members had previously publicly stated the possibility of conducting tests in international waters in scientific papers.

Climate weapons are no longer science fiction elements, but have become part of real politics. From "Operation Popeye" to current experiments with artificial cloud layers - the intervention in natural processes is gradually moving out of the science laboratory. Humans have realized the dangers of nuclear weapons, but they still underestimate the potential impact of climate weapons.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539485944265671203/

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