Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Chinese Government Ramps Up Weather Control Efforts

Posted by Soulskill on from the can't-stand-the-weather dept.

formaggio writes "China's government is intervening with nature by rolling out four regional programs to artificially increase precipitation across the country by 10 percent before 2015. The program is anticipated to bring in an additional 230 billion cubic meters of precipitation per year by 2015. This is on top of the 50 billion cubic meters of precipitation China already artificially creates annually in the northeastern province of Jilin."

5 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Evaporation by LoudMusic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Are they also creating an evaporation effect in the region that supplies air moisture to the region they're trying to create precipitation in?

    --
    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
  2. I have to ask... by hipp5 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    but what could go wrong!?

    1. Re:I have to ask... by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I suppose the first question to ask would be where the moisture would've fallen otherwise. Unless they're creating new evaporation/condensation into clouds, which it doesn't sound like since they're discussing seeding rockets, they're just causing it to fall somewhere instead of somewhere else. Maybe that harms somewhere else, or maybe it doesn't; would need more information to say.

      They appear not to get this, or not want to acknowledge it, though, with the quote: "Because clouds are boundless, weather control is boundless". Clouds might be boundless if you're doing isolated cloud-seeding operations, but on a massive industrial scale, clouds aren't really boundless...

      --
      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
  3. STOP!! Do Not Continue by MBC1977 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This reminds me of an Edding's book I read once, "Guardians of the West" where the lead character started playing around with the weather (to prove a point to some very inept thinking people). Several months later his grandfather comes to his castle, and virtually berates him for tampering with the "most powerful force in nature".

    Somehow I think this very fitting considering (1) this is China we're talking about and (2) anyone (including the US) who plays around weather is virtually certain to cause an adverse effect somewhere else. So please DO NOT TAMPER WITH THE WEATHER!!.

    Thanks. :)

    --
    Regards,

    MBC1977,
  4. Re:soory by Amouth · · Score: 3, Insightful

    wasn't it "structure captured, new construction options"?

    --
    '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'