Source: The Guardian
The millions of Americans concerned about climate change likely felt their worries intensify over the holidays when faced with artic-like temperatures on Christmas and a sunny, balmy New Years Day.
The good news is that current and developing water technologies can change the weather in our favor. When we think of modern-day water technologies, typically drilling water reclamation, deep aquifer pumping, water recycling and desalinization come to mind.
But additional water sources are now available enabling us to actually mess with Mother Nature - in a good way - when it's a matter of earth preservation, to alter, support or encourage a preferred atmospheric result.
These technologies are not all moonshot concepts from which only future generations will benefit. In fact, they are already in use across the globe. Here are just a few:
Cloud Seeding - Clouds Can Have a Silver Lining
Cloud seeding allows clouds to grow larger and last longer. Through cloud seeding, either airplanes or drones unload silver iodine (salts charged with water) to encourage the formation of ice particles or rain inside a cloud and eventually fall as rain or snow. Cloud seeding has been around since the 1940s and became widespread in the US in recent years as the West battled a drought of historic proportions. More recent cloud seeding technologies use calcium chloride flares in place of silver sodium.
Cloud seeding not only helps puts out fires but assists utilities lacking water. Surely ski resorts want to ensure they have sufficient snow, but a snowpack is essential when keeping reservoirs full and cloud seeding can generate mountain snowpack to help bank water supplies when water is scarce. Additionally, hail can be dangerous and do serious damage. Cloud seeding can prevent hail pellets from growing too large and affecting damage and danger.
Lightening Mitigation
Some companies are using what they refer to as "air terminals" which look like lightning rods. The rods are installed at the highest point on a home, building or bridge to keep them safe and give lightning a path to the ground below. Other technologies employ lasers used to strip electrons from air molecules and encourage controlled lightening.
So as climate change affects everyone on earth, there are technologies to help. Companies such as Ice Crystal Engineering, LLC, manufactures pyrotechnic cloud seeding flares for hail suppression, rain enhancement and snow pack augmentation. For now, the companies involved in the sector are largely privately held but could become takeover targets when M&A markets strenghten.
Just remember, we’re all in this together.