All articles tagged with #weather modification
An international team found common soil fungi secrete stable, water-soluble proteins that can nucleate ice at around -2°C, acting as cell-free ice makers. This could provide a natural, non-toxic alternative for cloud seeding, enable improved frozen-food and medical preservation, and help climate models by better accounting for ice formation in clouds.
Cloud seeding did not cause the July 4 floods in Kerr County, Texas; it is a process that can slightly increase precipitation but cannot induce flooding, which depends on broader atmospheric conditions. Authorities and experts confirm that the extraordinary rainfall was natural and unrelated to cloud seeding activities.
The National Center of Meteorology in the UAE has denied conducting cloud seeding operations before heavy storms hit the country, leading to flooding in places like Dubai. The organization stated that it did not dispatch pilots for seeding operations before or during the storm, emphasizing that cloud seeding should target clouds in their early stage before rainfall. The UAE has experienced a rise in rainfall in recent years, attributed to climate change, and the infrastructure struggled to cope with the unprecedented downpours, resulting in flooded roads and airports.
Mexico is using cloud seeding, a controversial technology, to combat the effects of an extreme drought that has led to crop losses, water scarcity, and higher food prices. Cloud seeding involves injecting particles into clouds to stimulate rainfall. While Mexico claims success with its current cloud seeding project, many scientists remain skeptical about its effectiveness and warn that it is not a solution to drought. The country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development did not respond to criticisms. Some experts advocate for exploring less expensive and high-tech methods to protect water resources, as cloud seeding should be considered only as part of a broader strategy.