Should weather modification technology be used?

Luis (No)

While many nations have tried to change the weather for convenience, numerous studies have shown that modifying it can do more harm than good. Altering the weather can severely disrupt numerous ecosystems, harming wildlife, natural water cycles, and even plants. Many scientists have claimed that weather modification is extremely risky and hazardous, and predicting its long-term effects on biodiversity remains impossible.

Weather modification also presents numerous ethical issues. Manipulating the patterns of natural weather allows some governments and groups to control a resource that should never be monopolized. Such an act can eventually lead not only to possible misuse but also to an unfair advantage.

Moreover, weather modification can cause geopolitical tensions, considering that such an operation can easily lead to international disputes. Such an unwanted scenario could end up being worse if one nation's actions on this matter eventually harm another ‘s agricultural productivity, which could be considered an attack on its sovereignty.

Finally, weather modification can end up doing more harm than good because it can lead to an overreliance on technology, considering that many nations around the world would be relying on such an act as their only way to solve their climate issues effectively. Such a reality could severely reduce long-term sustainability efforts as these nations won’t have many incentives to solve the root causes of their environmental issues. Climate problems need to be solved as soon as possible. However, weather modification is not the way to go.

Andrew (Yes)

Weather modification techniques like cloud seeding have been in use for more than six decades and have proven to be safe and effective methods for altering weather when needed. In particular, Cloud seeding can produce rain during drought conditions and help prevent crop failures when extended dry weather threatens food supplies. It can also be used to decrease foggy conditions at airports or to reduce hailstorms. Clearly, preventing famine through artificial rain creation and making aviation safe are excellent uses of weather modification.

Efforts to minimize or prevent storms such as hurricanes have not yet been proven conclusively effective, but new projects are promising. Storms can be massively disruptive and cause real problems for society, significantly as climate change increases rainfall and the intensity of hurricanes. Having a tool in our kit that would allow us to prevent or reduce the intensity of these storms would be massively helpful.

Finally, weather modification is short-term and locally oriented, meaning that it is unlikely to create long-term or global side effects. Weather is different from climate in that it refers only to short-term, local conditions. Unlike larger geo-engineering projects, which are planetary in scale, these weather modification efforts are useful only to the local area where they are deployed. The great irony of opposition to weather modification is that we have been altering the climate since the Industrial Revolution. Weather modification is a sensible solution to combating some of the worst effects of climate change.