Weather control and cloudseeding: The risky business from above.
Those are just contrails. They look cool, but they are not trails of weather control. Or cloudseeding. In fact, most air traffic moves in predictable patterns. For example, if an airport is nearby, planes come in for landing in one direction and take off for flight, in another. Seldom do they take the time to cross the sky (with both tailpipes smoking) in one direction, then cross the sky in another direction, adjacent to the first. The end result being the checkerboard effect that fluffs outward. Interestingly, the effect lasts for quite some time. And when the sun sets, it’s almost pretty, rather than ominous.
For anyone that is older, remembering past events is more than a history lesson. It is a lived experience. In other words, it’s everyday life. Furthermore, in everyday life, some things are easier to remember than others. Once upon a time, it was common to spend all day, every day, outside. In fact, we hid from the adults because they were a constant reminder of responsibility and chores. Therefore, cloud watching was more than just a passing fancy. It was a pastime filled with familiar patterns.
There are almost always clouds in the sky. It’s the different patterns of the clouds that make them so interesting. One thing we all knew was that planes usually had a small trail following them. Furthermore, even as kids we knew that it most likely meant the plane was extremely high up in the atmosphere. No one really thought about weather control. With this in mind, fast forward a couple of decades, and air traffic is much more common. So is weather control.
Weather Control And Cloud Seeding
Weather control was always a thing of science fiction. Once upon a time. Now it’s a work of science. When I first heard that cloud seeding is actually a thing, I felt stunned. Most people assume weather control is the stuff of science fiction. However, the shock of discovering that weather control is real, leaves more questions than answers. Is it real? Is it safe? Are there contingency plans in case something gets out of control?
All good questions, and understandably skeptical. For example, can we expect to see snowstorms in mid July? How about thunderstorms and a heatwave for the first week of January? These are valid concerns when it’s about weather control. However, they are a little off the mark. The weather control that currently exists is much more involved. In fact, cloud seeding operates as a growing commercial and government-backed industry aimed at combating water scarcity by artificially enhancing rain and snow.
Risky Business
In other words, it’s about rain, or the lack thereof. Which leads to the next reasonable question. What makes it a growing commercial industry? Is weather control that well established? And if so, for how long? Those answers are best understood with a look at the weather control market and its business model.
Market and Business Overview
- Market Size: The global cloud seeding market is valued at roughly $428.6 million and continues to expand as climate change and droughts intensify.
- Core Clients: Businesses primarily contract with state governments, municipal water districts, agricultural cooperatives, and hydroelectric companies.
- Methods: Operations are split into ground-based generators (propane burners releasing silver iodide from ridges) and aerial seeding (using specialized aircraft or modern drone fleets).
There are also key industry players already pioneering the next generation of weather control. A quick search of any of the following companies will add detail to the growing technology behind weather manipulation.
- Rainmaker: A prominent modern startup making use of weather-resistant drones, proprietary radar, and satellite validation to target snow pack and combat drought in the American West.
- Weather Modification International: A leading traditional aerial operations and project management firm.
- Cloud Seeding Technologies: A major global operator providing specialized aircraft, pyrotechnic flares, and deployment hardware.
Weather Control from Above
While there may be business challenges and scientific unknowns to address, there are other concerns that remain. According to research the process needs clouds to start. In other words, the process needs something to work with. An empty, clear blue sky is not the best canvas to work with. Which brings to light two very important business challenges.
- Efficacy and Validation: Proving exact ROI (return on investment) remains difficult. Because tracking the precise amount of additional precipitation generated, versus natural rainfall, is scientifically complex.
- Regulatory Hurdles: While several U.S. states fund programs, others have proposed bans or restrictions. This is mainly due to environmental and chemical safety concerns regarding silver iodide.
Cloud Seeding
With this in mind, it would seem the technology isn’t as well established as it sounds. Furthermore, it’s not difficult to imagine the consequences of out of control, weather control. Or trying to manipulate something as unpredictable and massive as the weather. Especially if the science is still in the phase of the learning curve. It’s difficult not to consider it a risky business from above. If it can solve a drought, excellent. If there’s no potential of it breaking loose, or multiplying exponentially, like some virus from a lab, wonderful. Prove it. Or at least show us the brakes. The brakes that put a stop to an out of control storm. Now there’s some real weather control. The useful kind that doesn’t go berserk at the drop of a pin. Thanks for reading today.
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