Having lived in Marin County for 37 years, I recognize how incredibly blessed we are to enjoy such brilliant blue skies. As a gardener, I am lucky to spend many hours outside. The years I’ve been growing veggies in West Marin, I’ve considered myself a weather tracker.

For years I’ve been watching clouds, following weather patterns and recording rain totals and temperature. I have definitely noticed a change in Marin’s weather over the last decade. As I’m sure everyone’s noticed the gradual warming patterns, earlier springs and, of course, the catastrophic wildfires, other signs of weather changes have recently caught my eye.

Only over the last several years I’ve noticed very long thin straight clouds that hang in the sky for a matter of hours and slowly morph into slightly wider rectangular streaks that eventually merge into thick, inky off-white hazes. The clouds are thick, often in lattice patterns that appear widespread one day and are not anywhere the next, but appear independent of any weather systems. Without even a modest change in pressure or temperature in the middle of August, these clouds appear without obvious reasons one day but not the next.

I recently became aware of a concept called geoengineering, which has been developed to mitigate the effects of a changing climate. Examples of this are programs to test the effects on weather patterns from reducing solar radiation, enhancement or lowering rainfall, and manipulating the jet stream. One very common example of geoengineering is solar radiation management, done for the alleged purpose of reducing incoming light and heat by injecting reflective metal and sulfur particles into the upper atmosphere. After unpacking this topic and reading news reports and research publications, I believe we are witnessing ongoing solar radiation management practices occurring in our skies.

There are over 35 known United States patents that confirm technologies exist for purposes of weather modification. Many are for solar radiation management, which I believe is the source of the long thin unfamiliar hazy clouds we see throughout our skies.

Evidence of this activity has been found from astonishingly high concentrations of heavy metals (aluminum and barium) and sulfur oxides found in samples of rain, snow, rivers and lakes in California and the West. This data has been collected by government biologists, citizens, and local groups that show troubling levels of geoengineering pollution in public waters and land.

If it’s true that geoengineering programs are being implemented without public knowledge or consent, then time is overdue for disclosure of the programs and a full review and analysis into possible environmental and human health impacts. Despite the evidence of geoengineering and solar radiation management happening in California, including Marin County, public agency officials appear unaware of the problem or treat the issue ineffectually.

The problem is obvious, the climate meltdown is happening rapidly and the powers that be are desperate to maintain the status quo, and if injecting the air with metals and sulfur buys them time to deal with the impacts of climate change, then they will take full advantage of every possible option.

Marin is known to be on the cutting edge of environmental awareness, yet the topics of geoengineering and weather modification have gone over the heads of the citizenry. As Marin environmentalists we need to start paying attention to our skies, pay attention to the weather, and become aware of weather modification and geoengineering to demand accountability and transparency of the programs.

Marin citizens need to ask the same of our Board of Supervisors to demand disclosure of these practices occurring in Marin County.

Ann Desheart is a Fairfax resident.