It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Hello, my fellow ATS’ers!
I come with some observations, a theory and some things to ponder.Observations
In what I’ve come across, I’m not even sure it’s entirely deliberate, if at all so. It could as easily be the mother of all unintended consequences, or simple indifference above necessity. First, a look at some science. Some real basic stuff…don’t worry, I’m not Mr. Wizard. Just a humble bunny.Source: National Geographic
Earlier this year, an unusually large dust cloud that originated in northwest China drifted across the continental United States and lingered over Denver and other areas, at times obscuring views of the Rocky Mountains.
It isn't the first time a giant dust cloud from east Asia has reached the United States. But concerned observers say the vast sweep and the density of this latest one suggests that northwest China's once-fruitful agricultural land is eroding at an alarming rate, becoming useless desert.
Source: Science Daily
You might find it hard to believe that dust clouds from the African Sahara can travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, but it does every year and in large quantities. In a recent study, Joseph Prospero, professor emeritus at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and collaborators at the University of Houston and Arizona State University found that the average air concentrations of inhalable particles more than doubled during a major Saharan dust intrusion in Houston, Texas.
Not content to push the edge in cloning, architecture and geological engineering, China’s also leaving the rest of the world behind when it comes to controlling the weather. Chinese officials say cloud seeding has helped to relieve severe droughts and water shortages in cities. In Shanghai, officials are considering the measure to cool the daytime temperature, easing demand for electricity, reports Brandon Keim.
The Beijing Weather Modification Office is just one part of the National Weather Modification Office that manipulates the weather across the whole of the country. China’s weather engineering program is the largest in the world—1,500 weather modification experts, in charge of thirty aircraft and their crews, as well as 40,000 part-time workers—farmers in the main—who are there to man the 7,000 anti-aircraft guns and 5,000 rocket launchers to shell the clouds.
Source: Canada Free Press
In China, some 560,000 manipulations of the weather have been conducted since 2002 using aircraft, rockets and projectiles carrying dry ice or silver iodide particles to stimulate rainfall, resulting with release of 490 billion tons of rain and saving about $10.4 billion in economic losses, the China Meteorological Association has reported.
China has long tinkered with Mother Nature's waterworks, even establishing a state organ -- the Beijing Weather Modification Office -- whose sole purpose is to meddle with the weather. The purpose behind weather modification is less megalomaniacal than it sounds at first pass; a large swath of northeast China, including Beijing, has been mired in a drought for nearly a decade, and the party leadership would like to reverse that trend for both practical reasons and to show the Chinese people exactly who is in charge.
China's Weather Manipulation Brings Crippling Snowstorm to Beijing
Weather manipulation is actually not as rare as one might think. Currently, 24 countries practice some kind of cloud seeding Moscow’s mayor keeps the Russian Air Force on cloud seeding duty to make sure it never rains on his parades (literally).
The International Training Course on Weather Modification, sponsored by China Meteorological Administration Training Centre (CMATC) starting from August 22 in Beijing came to a successful close. Seventeen international participants applied for the training course and finally twelve attended. All participants are in the field of weather modification, respectively from Indonesia (2), Pakistan (1), Philippines (1), Zimbabwe (1), Kenya (1), Ecuador (1), Nigeria (1), Mongolia (1), Kyrgyz Republic (1), Greece (1) and Hungary (1).
Source China Meteorological Administration
The training contents involve: the microphysics of clouds and precipitation, the growth of warm clouds and mixed phase clouds, precipitation from warm clouds and cold clouds, weather modification around the world, experiments and operations on how to plan a cloud seeding project, 50 years of cloud seeding in Israel, history of flying laboratory on instruments & measurements, the radar as a main instrument in Weather Modification, cloud seeding evaluation, implementing a rain enhancement project abroad, pollution effects on clouds and precipitation, Chinese weather modification practice and achievements, including weather modification modelling, simulation, data processing, cloud seeding theory, field experiment, operation commanding, effect assessments etc.
"The project's main goal is to provide a technical evaluation of proposed geoengineering techniques such as carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management, to determine what we know and don't know about their physical capabilities, technical feasibilities, known risks, and intended or unintended consequences," Rugani said.
Source: Accuweather.com
"Because global warming may impact the security of other countries and create problems for the U.S. government," Pike said. One national security benefit would be to prevent state failure in Africa, particularly in a nation such as Somalia, which has suffered through famine and a long-term civil war.
It also would be perfectly ethical for the U.S. government to use weather modification to save lives and money, Pile said.
The U.S. study is expected to be finished in the fall of 2014.
A Theory to Consider
Points to Ponder
Of course, even in China, this doesn't always work out so well.
China has long tinkered with Mother Nature's waterworks, even establishing a state organ -- the Beijing Weather Modification Office -- whose sole purpose is to meddle with the weather. The purpose behind weather modification is less megalomaniacal than it sounds at first pass; a large swath of northeast China, including Beijing, has been mired in a drought for nearly a decade, and the party leadership would like to reverse that trend for both practical reasons and to show the Chinese people exactly who is in charge.
Oops? ..No.. That doesn't quite cover an accidental snowstorm. The degree of control China has achieved in their program is remarkable though.
I should include, China doesn’t corner the market, according to Popular Science on this, and mentioned elsewhere in the article is something that just brings the sun shining on one person, anyway.
Weather manipulation is actually not as rare as one might think. Currently, 24 countries practice some kind of cloud seeding Moscow’s mayor keeps the Russian Air Force on cloud seeding duty to make sure it never rains on his parades (literally).
China's Weather Manipulation Brings Crippling Snowstorm to Beijing
- See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...
To do so, they've turned to cloud seeding, a controversial practice that involves launching (or dropping) chemicals into the atmosphere -- silver iodide in China, though dry ice and liquid propane also work -- that cause water vapor in the air to crystallize at temperatures it otherwise would not. Its effectiveness is dubious; while it's generally accepted that it works to some degree, it can only increase precipitation by 20 percent. Sometimes.
Bravo, Wrabbit! It kind of leads credence to population control theories, no?
- See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...
There has been lots of accusations that California cloud seeding has been partially responsible for the drought in Texas. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...
No. Cloud seeding may change individual clouds or groups of clouds, but weather patterns are determined by large-scale atmospheric conditions which cloud seeding cannot affect.
What is/was "weather engineering"?? This is the first time I have heard the term. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...
It's only logical to assume that pulling water out of the sky in one area means less potential rain for the areas beyond.
Definitely something to be concerned about. I hope they know what they're doing or at the very least be smart enough to stop doing it when the warning signs start blinking.
We need more rain !The government have to do more artificial rainfall!
Artificial rain reduction can protect our crops .Why don't do it ?
originally posted by: Wrabbit2000
I recall from past posts that you're over somewhere in that part of the world, and so the personal perspectives and what is heard locally vs. what is heard in the U.S. or England, for example, is always interesting.
How widely and commonly discussed are the weather modification efforts in Asia?
I was stunned to see the actual numbers for scale of the Chinese industry..
Is that as much a topic of talk there as one might imagine it would be for the sheer level of resources devoted?
but does that carry into regional media too?
originally posted by: AndyMayhew
From my experience, media newstories about cloud seeding are quite common in India, China and SE Asia - I've also seen a few stories where concern has been expressed that an ongoing drought in one country is being caused by increased cloud seeding in an adjacent one (though without any scientific input or explanation).
My impression is that 'ordinary people' know and accept it happens, believe it works (probably because the media implies it does), and expect the authorities to undertake it when there is a lack of rain. Whether it does work or not is a different matter .....
ROB ALL OF THEIR WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!