The Daily Aztec

Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: Science & Technology

Media Credit: Courtesy of MCT Campus Is there a possibility that rain clouds off the coast of mainland China, in areas such as Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, could be caused by China's artificial weather technology? Could China potentially cause rainstorms, flood and environmental issues in other areas of the world by keeping its skies clear?

Charles Hatfield was called San Diego's "Rainmaker." When he died in 1958, Hatfield's brother said the secret to controlling the weather apparently died with him.

Some say he is responsible for the five days of pouring rain in 1916 that washed away bridges, flooded homes and destroyed farms and ranches in San Diego.

If one weather magician could cause so much destruction in a city of approximately 75,000 people in 1920, imagine if a government tried to do such a thing in a city of more than 15 million people today.

This is exactly what will happen next year in China during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Beijing Weather Modification Office is working on technology that will guarantee perfect weather in the city during the games. Although August isn't a rainy month for Beijing, the WMO will be ready to release silver iodine and dry ice into the air to control rain that will activate rainfall before the clouds reach the city, according to People's Daily Online.

Robert Krier, The San Diego Union-Tribune's Weather Watch columnist, said that this technology is not realistic because having no rain in Beijing leaves the potential for floods somewhere else or droughts in another location.

"If you're going to be controlling the weather over one place, you're going to be controlling the weather over another place," Krier said. "The weather systems are connected all over the world. The forces they play are so massive, so to think that you can control it over a hundred square miles is delusional."

However, the WMO is focusing on keeping tourists dry rather than the environmental implications of such a decision. Zhang Qiang, head of the WMO, told Newsweek that her department is succeeding in helping Beijing get ready for the Olympics by clearing small cloud formations.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools