Q&A of the Day – What Florida’s New Weather Manipulation Law Will Do - Driven By Braman Motorcars
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Today’s Entry: Brian, some time ago you were kind enough to address my question about weather manipulation taking place and explained that cloud seeding does take place, typically in the Western US. What is it that Florida’s new law will do and will it have any impact?
Bottom Line: You’ve got it. Governor DeSantis announced he will sign the bill into law banning geoengineering and weather manipulation attempts within the state. The soon-to-be policy entitled Geoengineering and Weather Modification Activities expressly “prohibits geoengineering and weather modification activities”. As is noted in the bill’s analysis: The (law) prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight. Additionally, while the law takes effect July 1st, as of October 1st, all airports must report any aircraft equipped with any part, component, or device used for the intentional emission, injection, release, or dispersion of air contaminants into the atmosphere for the purpose of affecting temperature, weather, climate, or the intensity of sunlight – to the Florida Department of Transportation.
What many probably weren’t aware of is that the state of Florida has authorized weather modification programs under law since 1957. Under existing law those seeking to engage in weather modification programs had to apply for a permit to do so and that segues into your question about whether the law will have any impact.
The first documented weather manipulation efforts in the US occurred in the early 1920’s. Following World War I it became a Defense Department objective to disperse fog for the ability to better conduct military operations. An experimental project called FIDO, the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation was carried out between 1921 and 1925. The project used electrified sand to attempt to disperse fog at higher altitudes. However, by 1925 it became clear that the theory was incorrect, and the military pulled the plug on the project. The next known attempted occurred when a Nobel winning engineer with General Electric teamed with the U.S. military to attempt to steer a hurricane in 1947 away from the U.S. mainland via cloud seeding.
The category 2 hurricane, known as the “King Hurricane”, promptly made a beeline for Savannah after the seeding and steering attempt...that was the end of the hurricane project of that era. That wasn’t, however, the end of the cloud seeding experiment.
Over the next two years a total of 15 cloud seeding tests were carried out over the Hawaiian Islands. The tactic employed was the use of dry ice dropped into cloud formations. In the end the tests were too few in number to be considered scientifically conclusive however, according to the published study, it was said: “large rainfall values associated with seeded clouds are of particular interest”. In other words, it’s believed that there was an impact.
These types of projects have continued with various entities, often government-backed, around the world ever since – with cloud seeding being the most common form of attempted weather manipulation.
Since 1979 public disclosure of weather modification projects has been mandated. NOAA maintains the reports of these projects and weather manipulation efforts are active in the United States. Over the past year government records show cloud seeding programs were active in at least nine states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. At the same time NOAA has been actively downplaying the role and significance of weather manipulation and NOAA’s role in any efforts. In a “fact check”, posted last October entitled: Debunking weather modification claims NOAA went on to say:
- No technology exists that can create, destroy, modify, strengthen or steer hurricanes in any way, shape or form.
- NOAA does not modify the weather, nor does it fund, participate in or oversee cloud seeding or any other weather modification activities.
- NOAA does not fund or participate in cloud seeding or other weather modification projects.
- Radars are tools for observation and are not able to direct the motion or intensity of air masses or storms.
- Solar geoengineering, a theoretical practice which would modify the atmosphere to shade Earth’s surface by reflecting sunlight back into space, is not taking place at scale anywhere in the world.
- NOAA is not conducting solar geoengineering.
NOAA went onto to say cloud seeding is the only common weather modification activity currently practiced in the United States — typically by private companies in western mountain basins in winter in order to help generate snow in specific locations, or in the desert southwest to replenish water reservoirs in summer. The method has been used for decades in an effort to increase stored water in snowpack that melts in the spring to maintain adequate water supply.
So that’s the whole updated ball of wax as it pertains to weather manipulation and Florida’s new law. Cloud seeding is a thing but not in Florida. Florida’s law bans the practice of potential weather modification efforts, which had been authorized under law, but doesn’t have any instant impact in our state because no efforts have been active in our state.