Beijing to shoot down Olympic rain

[HOOT]

Hopefully not Fata but I did a search and didn't see any threads about it. Just saw it on PTI and thought this was quite interesting.

Should be ready to go for the 2008 Olympic Games.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/as...ain/index.html

Using an arsenal of rockets, artillery and aircraft, China will try to blast the clouds out of the sky, a meteorologist told a Beijing magazine, through a technique which falls under the umbrella of "cloud seeding."

Could this possibly work? Or how about how would this effect the earth?

[LouCypher]

Interesting story...man controlling nature would seem to be an obvious contradiction, as for the side effects might be to ingrained into the overall big picture of things to determine as of yet.

[KevanGuy]

In isolated cases like this I dont think its a big deal. The amount of activity you'd have to have to actually affect the earth would be quite a bit.

We have a similar program here in Alberta where planes seed emerging thunderstorms to keep the hail from becoming a destructive size.

[Cowboy89]

Very typical behavior from the Chinese. The country's international relations seem to revolve around 'saving face' or 'impressing' other countries, especially western powers. Of course all these things come at a huge price. This is something that we'll notice after the Olympics and after China's off International Television.

[icarus]

This story is a fata but it was on here so long ago that probably no one but me remembers it.

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Very typical behavior from the Chinese. The country's international relations seem to revolve around 'saving face' or 'impressing' other countries, especially western powers.

Count me impressed! Those Chinese are badass!

[Superfraggle]

What a terrible idea...how does a sporting event take precedence over such major natural processes. Whether or not the actual impact created registers high enough on some arbitrary scale to be "significant", I really think this sort of thing is just ridiculous and arrogant. If you don't want to have to deal with the rain, build a roof.

[BlackArcher101]

To the people that think this is a bad idea... do you support the hail mitigation project in the calgary area that is designed to lessen hail damage or would you be ok living with dents in your car?

[Canada 02]

those opposed should know that this is happening in our backyard

http://www.naiwmc.org/

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

To the people that think this is a bad idea... do you support the hail mitigation project in the calgary area that is designed to lessen hail damage or would you be ok living with dents in your car?

No, I do not support the hail mitigation project. Yes, I'm ok with dents.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

No, I do not support the hail mitigation project. Yes, I'm ok with dents.

Ok, just wondering.

I've argued this point with a few other people, and when I mention it is happening right in front of their eyes and the reason for it, they tend to say "oh"... and that's the last I hear of it.

[JohnnyB]

Pretty cool. China is amazing about accomplishing huge feats when they set out to do it, and damn the consequences. I have no idea what the ramifications of this program are, but I think it's pretty neat.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Pretty cool. China is amazing about accomplishing huge feats when they set out to do it, and damn the consequences. I have no idea what the ramifications of this program are, but I think it's pretty neat.

This isn't a new breakthrough in science I believe the US did it in the 40s? They gave up because there wasn't any proof it did anything, just like there's no proof that it works in China

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by Sowa

This isn't a new breakthrough in science I believe the US did it in the 40s? They gave up because there wasn't any proof it did anything, just like there's no proof that it works in China

I didn't exactly read the article, and i don't plan on doing so; but wouldn't the proof on if this works or not be if it rains or not?

[jammies]

King Canute move over, the Chinese have decided to make war on the sky!

[LouCypher]

I would say I am more in the let nature run its course camp, sure it does cause quite a bit of damage at times but for thousands of years mankind has coexisted with this earth and put our own wants and needs ahead of everything else why go the extra step just so people can be entertained.

[Five-hole]

Hey the US should do this and call it the War on Precipitation.

[Kool Keef]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

I didn't exactly read the article, and i don't plan on doing so; but wouldn't the proof on if this works or not be if it rains or not?

Not really. Just because it doesn't rain doesn't mean that the rockets had anything to do with it. I'm highly skeptical and the only thing they're going to accomplish by launching rockets into the air is just that -- launching rockets into the air. Mother nature has proven time and time again that mankind is its bitch, not the other way around.

If you plan on going, bring an umbrella.

[Kool Keef]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

Hey the US should do this and call it the War on Precipitation.

Well, considering how well the other war is going, I'd put my $$$ on the precipitation.

[HOOT]

When I first heard about this my first thought was what if they do it too much and it changed the weather patterns forever