The Journal. How the ‘Chemtrails’ Conspiracy Theory Is Sabotaging One Company
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Dec 17, 2025 
Agustus DiRico, CEO of Rainmaker and innovator in cloud seeding technology, dives into the fascinating world of modern meteorological solutions using drones and AI. He discusses Utah's efforts to combat drought and stabilize the Great Salt Lake while tackling conspiracy theories that falsely link his company to recent Texas floods. DiRico passionately refutes claims about the 'chemtrails' conspiracy, emphasizing the scientific foundations of cloud seeding and the operational challenges his company faces amidst growing skepticism and political pushback.
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Modern Tech Reboots Cloud Seeding
- Cloud seeding has revived because drones, radar and AI make targeting far more precise than old airplane-based methods.
- States like Utah view incremental precipitation gains as meaningful when aggregated over decades for fragile water systems.
Utah Bets On Cost-Effective Precipitation
- Utah scaled its cloud-seeding budget dramatically, seeing about a 10% potential boost in precipitation as valuable over decades.
- Officials consider seeding far cheaper than alternatives like desalination for supporting the Great Salt Lake.
Hands-On Drone Deployments In Mountains
- Agustus DiRico described field deployments where teams launch drones and seed clouds for up to 16 hours to bring snow.
- He said they drive into mountaintops and snowy valleys to collect real-time data and refine techniques.