Cloud seeding is a highly controversial weather tampering method. Using planes, chemicals (such as liquid nitrogen, silver iodide or cement) are dispersed through cloud masses to provoke or prevent precipitation.

 

This winter, city officials in Moscow plan to save money on snow clean-up using weather chemicals. The city will employ the Air Force to disperse a variety of chemicals into local cloud masses, which will drastically lower yearly snowfall, cut down on daily traffic jams and be significantly cheaper than the usual use of snow plows.

 

Mayor Yury Luzhkov has been a long time proponent of using chemicals to affect the weather in Moscow. On Russian holidays, like the Day of the City, the city typically uses planes and chemicals to assure dry weather. Such weather tampering is very successful in its goal, providing a beautiful day year after year for the residents of Moscow. 

 

However, a variety of drawbacks accompany such use of chemicals. While the city's new snow plan may be economical and provide immediate convenience, yearly tampering with natural environments through full Russian winters will likely lead to problems in the future.  Immediate public safety should also be a concern. One year, while cloud seeding, a portion of cement failed to spread throughout the clouds and fell in one solid chunk through the roof of a suburban home.

 

Information and photo: The Moscow Times