Written by: Mohammad Tariq Munawer - 28032, Grade IX
Posted on: 21 May, 2024
Cloud seeding is a scientific method that enhances a cloud's potential to produce rain or snow and affect other weather occurrences. The technology, sometimes known as weather manipulation, can be extremely beneficial in locations where natural water supplies are insufficient. Following cloud seeding, precipitation (rain or snow) will fall from the clouds to the ground.
Starting of Cloud Seeding
Scientists at the General Electric Research Laboratory first used this technique in 1946. They found out that using dry ice and silver iodide could help them improve the creation of ice crystals in the clouds. The cloud seeding technology used right now also involves dry ice and silver iodide.
How Does Cloud Seeding Work?
According to sources, not all clouds can create rain, and even if they do make rain water, only a few clouds have enough moisture for a large raindrop. Cloud seeding gives clouds lots of ice crystals, and if done in a right time, it leads to more moisture supply, which eventually creates rainwater.
Silver iodide is used instead for natural ice crystals, as silver iodides structure is very similar to natural ice crystals. When they put silver iodide in the top part of the cloud, the silver iodide crystal grows quickly once exposed to the cloud's moisture. Right after that, the ice crystals in the cloud become heavy and a large raindrop. 1 gram of silver iodide can create up to 10 trillion artificial ice crystals.
Why Cloud Seeding?
Cloud seeding is done in locations with a limited amount of water and in places where it doesn't rain a lot because cloud seeding can help increase the amount of rain in these locations and reduce the scarcity of water, especially in hot and dry regions of our planet. An example of this is UAE.
Another reason for cloud seeding is to increase the overall GDP of a nation. Since running and crop yields are related, cloud seeding can help increase the overall GDP of a nation. A higher overall GDP means the living standards of people will also increase. If living standards and overall GDP increase, tax revenue for the government will also increase, and the government can spend it on infrastructure and development projects.
Cloud seeding can also help improve the living conditions of people. If the overall GDP and crop yield increase, the local population can earn more wealth and income, which allows them to afford all their necessities. If their wealth and income increase, they can afford to send their kids to school and provide them with good and proper education. In turn, a higher number of kids will be able to improve their future.
Negative Impact of Cloud Seeding
Though cloud seeding can make many positive impacts on the world, it also has many negative impacts, and if we don't understand them and find a way to nullify them in time, then we might bring a new man-made disaster to the world.
One negative aspect of cloud seeding can be, it uses and relies on harmful chemicals in order to work. Large amounts of dry ice, silver iodide or potassium iodide are used for cloud seeding. These chemicals can be very harmful for our environment if they are used in an excessive manner.
Cloud seeding can cause our soil to be infertile as the chemicals that are injected into the clouds fall down on the surface in the form of rain. In the long run, it can cause the soil to be infertile and polluted. If the soil gets too polluted, then planting crops will not be possible, and this will cause a disruption in the food supply.
In the same way, cloud seeding can also cause water pollution and contaminate water sources like rivers and lakes. This will also have a negative impact on groundwater and cause it to be contaminated as well.
If water sources are contaminated, then the health of humans will also be in danger, as we humans drink the same water.
Conclusion
From the above, we can see the many positive and negative impacts of cloud seeding on our environment and our health. We can’t say anything right now but instead improve this technology and try to neutralize or minimize the negative effects of cloud seeding on our environment and our health.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/cloud-seeding
https://environmental-conscience.com/cloud-seeding-pros-cons/
