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Controlling the clouds.

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Title: Controlling the clouds.
Authors: Luhn, Alec (AUTHOR)
Source: New Scientist. 5/16/2026, Vol. 270 Issue 3595, p34-37. 4p. 6 Color Photographs.
Subjects: Weather control, Rain-making, Drought management, Geopolitics, Precipitation (Chemistry), Water shortages, Ecological impact
Abstract: The article focuses on the increasing global use of cloud seeding, a weather modification technique aimed at inducing rainfall to address water scarcity amid growing droughts and shrinking freshwater reserves. Originating from discoveries in the 1940s involving silver iodide and dry ice to stimulate precipitation, cloud seeding programs now operate worldwide, including in the US, China, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, employing various methods such as aircraft dispersal and ground-based flares. While recent scientific experiments have confirmed that cloud seeding can produce precipitation, its effectiveness in significantly mitigating drought remains uncertain and highly variable depending on environmental conditions. The expansion of cloud seeding has also sparked geopolitical tensions and conspiracy theories, raising concerns about its broader social and environmental impacts. Experts caution that cloud seeding may offer limited relief and could distract from essential water conservation and climate action measures. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of New Scientist is the property of New Scientist Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 193693770
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Periodical
PubTypeId: serialPeriodical
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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  Data: Controlling the clouds.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Luhn%2C+Alec%22">Luhn, Alec</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22New+Scientist%22">New Scientist</searchLink>. 5/16/2026, Vol. 270 Issue 3595, p34-37. 4p. 6 Color Photographs.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Weather+control%22">Weather control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rain-making%22">Rain-making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drought+management%22">Drought management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Geopolitics%22">Geopolitics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Precipitation+%28Chemistry%29%22">Precipitation (Chemistry)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Water+shortages%22">Water shortages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecological+impact%22">Ecological impact</searchLink>
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  Data: The article focuses on the increasing global use of cloud seeding, a weather modification technique aimed at inducing rainfall to address water scarcity amid growing droughts and shrinking freshwater reserves. Originating from discoveries in the 1940s involving silver iodide and dry ice to stimulate precipitation, cloud seeding programs now operate worldwide, including in the US, China, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, employing various methods such as aircraft dispersal and ground-based flares. While recent scientific experiments have confirmed that cloud seeding can produce precipitation, its effectiveness in significantly mitigating drought remains uncertain and highly variable depending on environmental conditions. The expansion of cloud seeding has also sparked geopolitical tensions and conspiracy theories, raising concerns about its broader social and environmental impacts. Experts caution that cloud seeding may offer limited relief and could distract from essential water conservation and climate action measures. [Extracted from the article]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of New Scientist is the property of New Scientist Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=193693770
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 4
        StartPage: 34
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Weather control
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rain-making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Drought management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Geopolitics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Precipitation (Chemistry)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water shortages
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecological impact
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      – TitleFull: Controlling the clouds.
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              M: 05
              Text: 5/16/2026
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              Y: 2026
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