Impacts of Artificial Climate Modification Essay -- Meteorology Weathe

Impacts of Artificial Climate Modification Controlling the weather. The very idea of it sounds enthralling and, yet, terrifying. Take a moment and think about the endless possibilities. Imagine the scenario: Hurricane Katrina is headed straight for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The loss of life is unthinkable and the amount of damage is insurmountable. However, scientists have discovered a way to seed the hurricane, not only lessening its power but potentially redirecting its path. Hundreds of lives are saved and billions of dollars in damage are prevented. While extreme storm manipulation is a far reach into the future, the possibility to increase rain and snow fall and to suppress hail storms is a reality. However exciting the possibilities, there are still great concerns on how this awesome power will affect the world. Weather Modification (WM) began in the mid 1940s with three scientists at the General Electric Laboratory. Vincent Schaefer, Bernard Vonnegut, and Irving Langmuir conducted various experiments in precipitation management. Their studies showed that the use of dry ice and silver iodide in supercooled stratus clouds acted as â€Å"seeds† for rain and snow making. Simply put, seeding is the introduction of crystalline particles into a cloud to create ice crystals and water droplets that will become precipitation (Bridget, 51). These first series of experiments encouraged new rain enhancement and hail prevention projects throughout the world (List, 51). With the introduction of any new finding, there is a need for guidelines. In order to create a more universal, uniform, and organized method of researching weather modification, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) establish... ...cy Statement: â€Å"Planned and Inadvertent Weather Modification,†. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 73, 337. Bridget, C. (May/Jun 2005). Changing the Weather. Weatherwise, 58(3), 51, 53. Howell, W.E. (1977). Environmental Impacts of Precipitation Management: Results and Inferences from Project Skywater. Bureau of Reclamation Department of the Interior, 58(6), 491-492. Solak, M.E., Yorty, D.P., & Griffith, D.A. (2003). Estimations of Downwind Cloud Seeding Effects in Utah. Report: North American Weather Consultants, Inc., 35(1), 1, 2, 4. Weaver, T. & Collins, D. (Nov 1977). Possible Effects of Weather Modification (Increased Snowpack) on Festuca Idahoensis Meadows. Journal of Range Management, 30(6), 451. List, R. (Jan 2004). Weather Modification- A Scenario for the Future. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 85(1), 52, 56-57.