Government Weather Control Is On The Way.

[dbt]

Yes, kids, it's true! On March 3, 2005, Senator Kay Hutchinson of Texas introduced S.517 in the United States Senate: A bill to establish a Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and for other purposes. Here are a few choice nuggets from the bill:

18 (4) WEATHER MODIFICATION.--The term
19 ``weather modification' means changing or control-
20 ling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial
21 methods the natural development of atmospheric
22 cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in
23 the troposphere.

24 (a) PROMOTION RESEARCH DEVELOP-
OF AND

25 MENT.--In order to assist in expanding the theoretical

1 and practical knowledge of weather modification, the
2 Board shall promote and fund research and development,
3 studies, and investigations with respect to--
4 (1) improved forecast and decision-making tech-
5 nologies for weather modification operations, includ-
6 ing tailored computer workstations and software and
7 new observation systems with remote sensors; and
8 (2) assessments and evaluations of the efficacy
9 of weather modification, both purposeful (including
10 cloud-seeding operations) and inadvertent (including
11 downwind effects and anthropogenic effects).

11 (a) IN GENERAL.--There is established within the
12 Treasury of the United States the Weather Modification
13 Research and Development Fund, which shall consist of
14 amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) or re-
15 ceived by the Board under subsection (c).
16 (b) AUTHORIZATION APPROPRIATIONS.--There is
17 authorized to be appropriated to the Board for the pur-
18 poses of carrying out the provisions of this Act
19 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014.
20 Any sums appropriated under this subsection shall remain
21 available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.

24 SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
25 This Act shall take effect on October 1, 2005.

The full text of the bill may be read at this link. (Thanks to new DUer greatbubba for ferreting this out!)

Golly, wouldn't it be just the funniest thing ever if all those tinfoilhatters who've been screeching about "secret gubmint weather control" have been right? Except that it's not so secret now, I mean.

Your Pal,
dbt
Committee On Noticing Spray Programs Involving Real Aircraft Calculated Yearly

[Mutley]

1. For some reason this sounds like a bad idea.

Or rather, "I have a bad feeling about this."