Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Grab your bear can or camp chair, kick your feet up and chew the fat about anything Sierra Nevada related that doesn't quite fit in any of the other forums. Within reason, (and the HST rules and guidelines) this is also an anything goes forum. Tell stories, discuss wilderness issues, music, or whatever else the High Sierra stirs up in your mind.
Post Reply
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11823
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by maverick »

Interested in seeing how much snow they will be able to generate with this.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/11/589898 ... gical.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
RoguePhotonic
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1693
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:52 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Bakersfield CA
Contact:

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I don't like when they mess with nature. We'll see how much damage they cause!

The article is written funny. Cloud seeding has been around for more than 50 years yet they talk about it like it's something new.
User avatar
Rockchucker
Topix Expert
Posts: 407
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:22 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bishop, CA

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by Rockchucker »

Don't drink the silver snow!! DWP seed here on the eastern side every year.
I'm no suture for my future.
User avatar
LMBSGV
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:42 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: San Geronimo, CA
Contact:

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by LMBSGV »

Homo sapiens’ attempts to control nature instead of modifying our behavior to better adapt to nature may ultimately destroy us.
I don’t need a goal destination. I need a destination that meets my goals.

http://laurencebrauer.com
User avatar
dave54
Founding Member
Posts: 1327
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:24 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: where the Sierras, Cascades, and Great Basin meet.

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by dave54 »

Manufacturer Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required to be completed for every chemical according to strict EPA guidelines and made available to the public.

Here's one for silver iodide:

a key manufacturer of silver iodide for weather modification, Deepwater Chemicals, warns of potential health effects of silver iodide in their Material Safety Data Sheet as follows:

Chronic Exposure/Target Organs: Chronic ingestion of iodides may produce “iodism”, which may be manifested by skin rash, running nose, headache and irritation of the mucous membranes. Weakness, anemia, loss of weight and general depression may also occur. Chronic inhalation or ingestion may cause argyria characterized by blue-gray discoloration of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Chronic skin contact may cause permanent discoloration of the skin.(10)

Under the guidelines of the Clean Water Act by the EPA, silver iodide is considered a hazardous substance, a priority pollutant, and as a toxic pollutant.(10).

Given the concentrations likely to be found in rain water and runoff from seeding, I doubt anyone will immediately get sick. The unknown is the effects of chronic ingestion over decades.
There is ample research on acute exposures both low and high. Almost no research on chronic low exposures.

Cigarettes, DDT and thalidomide were once thought safe also.

It may be the benefits of seeding outweigh the risks, or it may not. No one really knows yet.
=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~
Log off and get outdoors!
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by rlown »

still need the right conditions. not seeing it yet. I think we're screwed for a while.
User avatar
RoguePhotonic
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1693
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:52 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Bakersfield CA
Contact:

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Every time I am around seeding it rains like I have never seen before. I'd be worried about the same with snow causing massive avalanches and people getting caught in the storms and getting killed.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6640
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Sierra Cloud Seeding This Winter

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Cloud seeding has been subject to law suits from states that are downwind. They claim that it sucks more than the upwind state's fair share out of the atmosphere, depleting the probability of rain in their area.

I am not sure cloud seeding has consistently been very effective. Air pollution also puts particulates in the atmosphere - a doubly bad way to seed clouds. It makes more sense to seed clouds at the end of a wet cycle to build up the snowpack as storage and to develop more storage for wet year runoff.

Worldwide, there is plenty of water. It is just not in the "right" place to sustain growing populations in arid regions. Water seems always to be a matter of "too much" or "too little". Feast or famine.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 48 guests