Mitchell 1 Thomas Mitchell Professor Perkins English 102 20 March 2010 Geo-Engineering: Controlling the Climate and Weather

Recall the pleas re deri!ed from the last time "o took a #alk thro gh a park on a da" #hen the #eather #as perfect$ The s nshine #as %right& the temperat re #as perfect& and perhaps there #as a slight %ree'e that left "o the ltimate feeling of refreshment as it caressed "o r face$ (r perhaps "o can remem%er the last time "o en)o"ed the so nds and smells of a light *pril sho#er that left the trees and grass looking so green and the air so fresh that "o ) st co ldn+t resist taking a deep cleansing %reath$ ,o do %t e!er"one can remem%er times s ch as these or similar instances #hen the #eather #as responsi%le for %ringing them a lift in spirit$ ,o# imagine that "o had the a%ilit" to control the #eather and climate$ Perhaps "o r first response to this idea is that s ch a thing is& and al#a"s #ill %e& impossi%le$ - t "o #o ld %e #rong in "o r ass mption$ .n o r modern #orld there is a science called Geo-Engineering that has %ecome a political iss e$ Geo-Engineering is the a%ilit" of scientists to control the climate and #eather in !ario s areas and for !ario s reasons$ The iss e #e are all faced #ith is #hether or not ha!ing this control is a good thing or a %ad thing$ /irst of all #e m st ans#er the 0 estion of #hether Geo-Engineering is a realit"$ Witho t 0 estion it is& and has %een for decades$ 1cientists ha!e s ccessf ll" demonstrated in n mero s #a"s the a%ilit" to %e a%le to control the climate and #eather$ 2o# ha!e the"

Mitchell 2 accomplished this formerl" mirac lo s feat3 *ccording to Weather4 estions$com& 5r$ Ro" W$ 1pencer reports that one form of #eather manip lation that has %een aro nd for a relati!el" long time is clo d-seeding$ Clo d-seeding is the process of dropping dr" ice cr"stals or sil!er iodide aerosis into the pper parts of clo ds to stim late the formation of #ater droplets$ This ca ses rainfall #here perhaps there #o ld ha!e %een none$ This form of #eather manip lation has %een aro nd for a long time and is sed also in the control of the intensit" of strong storms s ch as h rricanes$ 1ince the most destr ction from h rricanes comes from those #ith the smallest diameter e"es& clo d seeding has %een sed& according once again to Weather4 estions$com& to %roaden the si'e of the e"e or create a ne# one and in so doing& lessen the strength of the original storm$ *n e!en more s ccessf l method of controlling the strength of a storm s ch as a h rricane and possi%l" e!en eliminating the storm #as reported on %" Michael -ehar in the Pop lar 1cience article 6Can We 1top 1torms37$ .n this article it talks a%o t the method of dropping tons of #ater-a%sor%ing po#der or gel into a storm to intentionall" dr" it o t and as a res lt lessen its strength or %ring it to a s dden end all together$ This has %een a s ccessf l e8periment$ The firm de!eloping the po#der and gel sed in s ch a method is a firm %" the name of 5"n-(-Mat& located in 9 piter& /lorida$ *nd #hile controlling a storm locall" is tr l" a realit"& there is an e!en more s rprising method of #eather control that has the potential to affect #eather an"#here in the #orld from ) st one !antage point$ The militar" of the :nited 1tates has esta%lished the 2igh-fre0 enc" *cti!e * roral Research Program& nicknamed 2**RP$ This s"stem ses high fre0 enc" electromagnetic #a!es to disr pt the la"er of the atmosphere kno#n as the ionosphere$ -" the se of s ch energ"& literall" millions of kilo#atts& it has %een possi%le for the last ;0 "ears to manip late #eather& not ) st in the

Mitchell < immediate locale& % t #orld#ide$ .n their %ook 6The Militar"+s Pandora+s -o87& a thors 5r$ ,ick -egich and 9eane Manning state that 6rainmaking technolog" #as taken for a fe# test rides in =ietnam$ The :$1$ 5epartment of 5efense sampled lightning and h rricane manip lation st dies in Pro)ect 1k"fire and Pro)ect 1tormf r"7$ (ther scientists ha!e made the o%ser!ation that there is an electrical connection %et#een the ionosphere and other la"ers of the atmosphere& and %eca se of this& a disr ption of the ionosphere can disr pt #eather o!er an" area #here the electrical dist r%ance is aimed$ While the information demonstrating that #eather manip lation is a fact is e8ha sti!e& for the p rpose of this paper m" intention is to simpl" sho# #ith a fe# e8amples that it is indeed something that is a realit" toda"$ - t& as #ith most things& not onl" has the a%ilit" to manip late the #eather %een sed for good& s ch as lessening the strength and th s destr cti!e a%ilit" of storms& % t the militar" has alread" fo nd #a"s to se it to gain tactical ad!antages o!er the enem"$ 1 ch is seen from the pre!io sl" mentioned e8periments done ca sing hea!" rainfall in =ietnam d ring that #ar$ .n an article titled 6The :ltimate Weapon of Mass 5estr ction:7(#ning the Weather7 for Militar" :se7& the a thor states 6 The :1 *ir /orce has the capa%ilit" of manip lating climate either for testing p rposes or for o tright militar"-intelligence se$ These capa%ilities e8tend to the triggering of floods& h rricanes& dro ghts& and earth0 akes >Choss do!sk" Ultimate?$7 1o e!en in a controlled sage the implications are scar" #hen it comes to scientists ha!ing the a%ilit" to control the #eather$ .t is alread" %eing sed& not ) st for good& % t to harm others thro gh the triggering of dro ghts& floods& and other #eather anomalies$ 1o if s ch harm can %e form lated from a controlled se of this technolog"&

Mitchell ; imagine the implications if s ch e8perimentation #ere to go a#r"$ What if #e lost that control3 What if #e started to e8perience res lts that #ere harmf l& e!en if nintentional3 Well ) st #hat ha'ards are there to %e a#are of that make this an important& if not #ellkno#n& political iss e3 Well it seems that catastrophic res lts are a strong possi%ilit" #hen #e start e8perimenting #ith control of the climate$ *ccording to the #e% site 2**RP$,ET& sing %lasts of mega-#atts of electricit" into the atmosphere is destr cti!e to sa" the least$ @ong-term sage of s ch a techni0 e makes it certainl" possi%le that #e #ill %egin losing the protection o r atmosphere gi!es s$ The increase in car%on dio8ide that res lts from man" #eather control techni0 es has %een pro!en to ha!e a #arming affect on o r climate& #hich in t rn res lts in a melting of the polar ice caps$ This in t rn res lts in increasing oceanic le!els$ With s ch things alread" on the ta%le and pro!en as fact& it isn+t m ch of a leap to imagine that mankind #ill take things too far and the res lts #ill %e catastrophic$ There is also the danger of ) st #ho has control of this technolog"$ Most of #hat is done in this area is done in secret$ *nd the militar" claims to ha!e ) risdiction o!er an" and all e8periments that ha!e to do #ith geo-engineering$ *ccording to one a thor #orking for P re Energ" 1"stems ,e#s& 6The :$1$ militar" has a !er" long arm$ *s e!inced %" man" e8amples& the :1 feels it has the right to reach into an" nation on earth to take #hate!er it #ills %" force& #hether this is oil fields or #eather-infl encing technolog" >2ali% rton Weather?$7 *nd as mentioned earlier& the militar" has alread" p t this technolog" to #ork in a harmf l #a"$ 1o as #e consider the facts s rro nding this iss e of geo-engineering& there is no do %t that it can %e sed for good #hen the proper people ha!e control of it$ There is the possi%ilit" of %ringing rain to areas of dro ght& res lting in the a%ilit" to gro# crops in areas

Mitchell A formerl" too dr" for s ch a thing$ There is the a%ilit" to control the climate to the point of e!en pre!enting de!astating #eather$ - t #eighing in e!en hea!ier is the dangers of improper se of this technolog"$ .t has the pro!en potential of %ringing great harm to o r planet$ *s C ttingEdge$org states on their #e% page in reference to this technolog"& 65o not mis nderstand: Earth co ld %e destro"ed& made nfit for h man ha%itation& %" mistakes accidentall" created$7 *s a res lt of the c rrent potential dangers of geo-engineering %eing so great as to %e possi%l" catastrophic it is& at least for the time %eing& a technolog" that sho ld not %e emplo"ed$ 1o despite the possi%le ses that co ld %e of %enefit to people aro nd the glo%e& the safet" of h man life and o r planet are far too important to %e left to the dangers of geo-engineering at its c rrent le!el of ad!ancement$

Mitchell B Works Cited -egich& 5r$ ,ick& and 9eane Manning$ 6 The Militar"+s Pandora+s -o8 6$ HAARP.NET 1CCA We%$ ,$p 20 March 2010$ -ehar& Michael$ 6 Can We 1top 1torms3 Popular Science Magazine$ 200A We%$ ,$p 20 March 2010$ Choss do!sk"& Michael$ 6 The :ltimate Weapon of Mass 5estr ction: 6(#ning the Weather7 for Militar" :se$ GlobalRe earch.ca 200; We%$ ,$p 20 March 2010$ C ttingEdge$org 200C$ We%$ 20 March 2010$ 2ali% rton& Mar"-1 e$ !Weather Modification a @ong Esta%lished& Tho gh 1ecreti!e Realit". Pure Energ" S" tem Ne# $ 200A$ We%$ P re Energ" 1"stems 20 March 2010 HAARP.NET 1CCA We%$ ,$p 20 March 2010$ 1pencer& 5r$ Ro" W$ Weather4 estions$com$ We%$ 200D$ ,$p 20 March 2010