Here ’s your first look at a ground - based cloud - seeding organization . With drought hitting the Western United States intemperately , administration are push the federal government to spend $ 25 million on cloud - seeding engineering . Meanwhile , China is already spending $ 100 million to make rain .
Traditionally , cloud seeding has involved dropping a vapour into the cloud ( usually fluent iodide ) that ’s contrive to bond with the body of water , establish it ponderous and make pelting or snow . But this priming - based author is design to spray up into the cloud . According to the Associated Press , many people conceive the U.S. is fall behind in the swarm - seeding arms raceway :
Government agencies and utilities from California to North Dakota spend an estimated $ 15 million a year on cloud seeding , and the phone number of task has start by most a third in the last X .
But spending in the United States is far scurvy than in many other countries . China spends an estimated $ 100 million a class on cloud - seeding effort that include using anti - aircraft guns and skyrocket launcher to blast the sky with silver iodide .
“ What ’s going on in the U.S. is tiny , ” said Arlen Huggins , an associate research scientist at the Desert Research Institute in Reno , Nev. “ There ’s more being done outside the U.S. than here . ”
Other countries conduct cloud - seeding enquiry let in Australia , France , Greece , Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Venezuela .
But the National Research Council reported in 2003 that there ’s no evidence this proficiency actually works . At the same meter , scientist need in the report say more bailiwick and research are needed , and utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric have been doing swarm - seeding for years , saying they ’ve encounter an increment in precipitation as a result . ( PG&E uses snowmelt in turbine - power plants . )
Another interrogation : whether silver iodide , the chemical substance used to make water overweight , is safe . Residents of one region where PG&E wants to install seven 20 - feet - magniloquent generators are elevate questions — but the charmingly name Weather Modification Association insists it ’s perfectly safe . I get it on the fact that there ’s an interest group called the Weather Modification Association .
So with clean piddle growing scarcer and more precious , are we pass to lose the weather - control race before we even know it ’s happening ? And is water braid with silver iodide still considered “ uncontaminating water ” ?
Image by AP . [ Associated Press ]
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