another paper i wrote on weather mod. this semester.
11 September 2009
Weather Modification
In Jeff Hull’s article “The Modern Rain Dance” in The New York Times, he writes about “cloud seeding” which has been taking place in the United States since around the 1940’s. The idea of weather modification has been around since the late 1800’s. It's a process in which man manipulates the weather. Whether they halt rain, make rain, or make man-made clouds that reflect sun-light back into space, they are changing our weather on purpose. Hull, though, specifically writes about “cloud seeding” which is dropping silver iodide into clouds, creating ice crystals, and making precipitation. This process is currently being used in major drought areas such as California and Wyoming. Hull tells us that in 2003 the National Research Council stated that there is no scientific proof that weather modification is helping us. Hull starts questioning whether this could be harmful at all to us. No questions about the process have been addressed by our legal system. Hull concludes by stating that we should be careful with what we can do.
I am a strong believer in putting a stop to weather modification. I believe it’s not only harmful to the environment, but it could be harmful to the people here on Earth. “Cloud seeding” is only the beginning. “Many communities have experimented with “Cloud Seeding”, the introduction of artificial nuclei into clouds to spur precipitation.”(Hull, page 1) There are much worse experiments and manipulation going on, but the government will not confirm it.
First of all, I believe it’s wrong for the government to keep information from current experiments from its citizens especially if these experiments could potentially be harmful. I would think that there would be some form of harm on us or the environment, and maybe that is the reason the government is not giving us information. Do the particles being sprayed in the atmosphere disintegrate somehow? Could these particles be affecting our water supply? Many Americans don’t even have a clue that these actions are being performed right above them.
Another big concern with weather modification is the environment. Could this be harming plants and animals? Could this be ruining our atmosphere? The only way we will know is when it happens and everything begins to unfold. For now, though, many are not paying much attention because they don’t know! How can the EPA, NASA, and NOAA overlook this issue? Do they not realize how harmful this could be? I ask so many questions because our government does not address this experimentation, nor do they answer questions regarding the issue.
When I earn my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science I hope to put a stop to weather modification. I understand drought areas need water, but putting particles in the air is not the way to fix the problem. What if the rain water they receive is contaminated? I believe this is an eye-opening issue that more of us need to look into. Some reporters and columnists, such as Hull, have already taken a look at the issue, but it hasn’t blown up the media because the government wouldn’t allow it. Many other countries are doing the same experimentation, but our country needs to take a look at what is happening above them before it is too late.
