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China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

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Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#91

Post by celticninja »

AlexC04 wrote: post #90

Under the guidelines of the Clean Water Act by the EPA, silver iodide is considered a hazardous substance, a priority pollutant, and as a toxic pollutant.(10) Some industries have learned this all too well. ... If the toxicity manifests in pollution and illnesses, the effects may not be reversible ... http://www.ranches.org/cloudseedingharmful.htm So.... this doesn't seem like the best idea.

China seems to be somewhere that is happy with short term solutions without considering longer term impacts.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#92

Post by blondie9x »

This should be regulated internationally by the UN. This solution is like turning on the AC when it's hot out. It won't make it less hot outside and you will need more and more electricity to power the AC as the world heats up from increased CO2 levels.

This technology releases significant amounts of CO2 and as the Earth's temperature rises from increased greenhouse gas concentrations, solutions such as these will show diminishing returns because the technology they are built upon only worsens the underlying problem by producing significant amounts of the gas causing the problem in the first place.

Disappointing approach to solving climate change and mitigating it's impacts.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#93

Post by hungerstrike »

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #82

Interesting how quickly we went from “weather modification is a conspiracy theory” to reporting about it on an increasingly regular basis.

You're right. As a fan of conspiracy theory drama, I love it when I make this discovery (how something went from conspiracy theory to non-conspiracy theory). I had actually read about this before it had its own Wikipedia page and people thought I was crazy if I chose to speak about it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye

Those who have a deep desire to be in control will try almost anything.

As far as actual conspiracy theories go, I don't see why some people have such a hard time imagining that powerful, control-hungry people could form groups and work together to feed their desires. I guess they just can't relate because that's not how they think or they just don't want to think about it because it makes them uncomfortable.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#94

Post by staz »

celticninja wrote: post #91
AlexC04 wrote: post #90

Under the guidelines of the Clean Water Act by the EPA, silver iodide is considered a hazardous substance, a priority pollutant, and as a toxic pollutant.(10) Some industries have learned this all too well. ... If the toxicity manifests in pollution and illnesses, the effects may not be reversible ... http://www.ranches.org/cloudseedingharmful.htm So.... this doesn't seem like the best idea.

China seems to be somewhere that is happy with short term solutions without considering longer term impacts.

compared to the rest of the world?

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#95

Post by sametmax »

blondie9x wrote: post #92

This should be regulated internationally by the UN. This solution is like turning on the AC when it's hot out. It won't make it less hot outside and you will need more and more electricity to power the AC as the world heats up from increased CO2 levels. This technology releases significant amounts of CO2 and as the Earth's temperature rises from increased greenhouse gas concentrations, solutions such as these will sh…

What's more, local weather is always existing in a global context. When they'll modify the meteorology at the scale of their country, it may very well impact the climate of the entire planet. Water must come from somewhere. Air current will be impacted. And temperature deltas.

It's very concerning.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#96

Post by sametmax »

cdepman wrote: post #41

I think access to water resources has always been part, if not the bulk, of modern China's Tibet play. And now they're starting to tap into those resources. I wonder what the effects will be once they start pumping / rain-making at an even more massive scale. More on water resources in Tibet: http://www.tibetnature.net/en/introduction-water-resources/

Well yeah. It's a territory next to India, which is short on water, has a huge population and the atomic bomb. So it was always about who would get it first without getting busted.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#97

Post by philipodonnell »

ggm wrote: post #12

Excluding systems which put water into the air, Atmospheric water is a zero sum game AFAIK so if this causes rain to fall where the Chinese want it, somebody else misses out. Freshwater from high mountains in the India/China region is a hot topic. They're running out of glaciers.

Wouldn't higher temperatures and lower humidity due to water vapor extraction lead to an increase the evaporation from the oceans to maintain the balance?

Not saying that wouldn't have other effects, just wondering if atmospheric water is really a zero sum game.

Based on this [0], it looks like the weather systems head out over the pacific after passing China, so should have ample time to refuel?

[0] http://wasatchweatherweenies.blogspot.com/2012/02/jet-stream...

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#99

Post by sametmax »

zingmars wrote: post #48
rattray wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> which large country cares about larger environmental impact? Germany and Japan come to mind.

Merkel said a lot of things, and yet they already dropped their climate goals for 2020 and they can't seem to get rid of their coal dependency. Words mean nothing without the action to back them up.

I spent time in the US, a lot of places in europe, and asia.

You can't compare the situation in China/India and the Europe.

And you certainly can't compare the US and germany. They have the cleanest, most eco-friendly culture I have seen Europe, or the US.

They recycle everything. They have very strict laws on cars. Dropping anything on the floor is regarded as completely uncivil.

No matter if they don't succeed perfectly in their energy transition right now, they are trying hard, and seem to will to continue until they do it.

Hard problem do not get solve easily.

On the other hand, the US backed down on most political commitment to the planet.

Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain

#100

Post by antoineMoPa »

staz wrote: post #94
celticninja wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China seems to be somewhere that is happy with short term solutions without considering longer term impacts.

compared to the rest of the world?

Yeah I'd 's/China/Humans/'. I'm referring to the fact that (mostly) everyone emits CO2 with cars, without caring about longer term impacts on global climate, sea rise, increase of hurricane frequency and intensity, etc.
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