Episode 41: Drilling the Skies

Hype of the Week: 
 Minh and Castle are joined by Jonathan Jennings to tackle the controversial topic of weather modification and cloud seeding.

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Jonathan Jennings - Meteorologist for West Texas Weather Modification Association

Jonathan Jennings, Meteorologist for the West Texas Weather Modification Association

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What is weather modification?

• Weather modification is the act of intentionally manipulating or altering the weather. The most common form of weather modification, is cloud seeding to increase rain or snow, usually for the purpose of increasing the local water supply. Weather modification can also have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hail.​

• Weather modification is used around the world, including the Beijing Olympics!​

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• The American Meteorological Society, a professional weather organization, also issued a statement on weather modification and cloud seeing.

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Case Study: Capetown South Africa

• Why Cape Town is running out of water and who's next? - National Geographic 
• Cape town used to have a weather modification, but cancelled it... could this have prevented the current water crisis?
• Update on the Cape Town Water Crisis: "Day Zero" deferred, but Cape Town's Water Crisis is far from over, CNN​

 

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Weather Modification Takeaway Messages to Share:

1. Cloud seeding is real.
2. Cloud seeding works.
3. Cloud seeding is used globally.

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C.W. Post - ​The Rainmaker

"The cereal manufacturer, C. W. Post of Texas, maintained belief in the concussion method. From 1911 to 1914, Post executed “rain battles” near Post City, Texas, detonating dynamite along the Caprock Escarpment. Inspired by an occasional rain fall, Post optimistically predicted that rainmaking would one day replace irrigation." - Weather Modification History 

Check out these links for more information on C.W. Post:

• ​www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/history/cw-post-cereal-czar-and-rainmaker
• http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.wat.023
  

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Songs of the Week

Minh: "Capital Letters" - Hailee Steinfeld, BloodPop

Jonathan: "Paradise" - George Ezra

Castle: "Hitchhiker" - Demi Lovato