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GOVERNMENT
Rain Makers or Fakers? N o present need for government control of rainmaking seen by Committee on W e a t h e r Control EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT WEATHER, but attempts t o do
THE
something a b o u t it have met with considerable skepticism. Principal target for the skeptics has been rainmaking b y seeding clouds with silver iodide or dry ice. After two years of study t h e President's Advisory Committee on Weather Control concludes that while rain cannot be "made," rainfall can b e increased under suitable circumstances. F o u n d e d in 1953 by Act of Congress to investigate the validity of commercial rainmaking operations, the Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of C a p t . Howard T . Orville, USN(Ret.), h a s spent the intervening time in studying reports of cloud seeding operations. Present law requires cloud seeders t o make monthly reports of their operations. The study shows t h a t the commercial technique of releasing into the atmosphere silver iodide smoke from g r o u n d generators produces results that can be very important to t h e water economy of the nation. In t h e Pacific Coast states six cloud seeding operations produced increases in precipitation of from 9% t o 17%. • Can M a n Make Rain? "Yes—with qualifications," says the committee. Occasionally cloud seeders will attempt to initiate precipitation. But most of the time operations are conducted on storms t h a t will produce rain anyway, in a n a t t e m p t to get more precipitation out of t h e m . To trigger a storm situation with a chemical agent, moisture and temperature, as well as other meteorological factors must b e just right if g o o d results are to b e obtained. Obviously, the committee says, a cloud seeder h a s more favorable opportunities to do his work during a year or in an area w h e r e marginal situations occur with some frequency than in a drought y e a r or in a desert area. Principal geographic area studied b y the committee was t h e Pacific Coast states. T h i s area was selected because there are a large number of commercial cloud seeders operating in t h e area. In a d d i t i o n , storms in this area occur under orographic conditions; i. e., con932
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ditions under which moisture-laden air is caused to rise by the presence of mountains. These conditions are considered most favorable for augmenting precipitation. To increase confidence in conclusions drawn from t h e data examined, the committee staff worked out a unique application of statistical methods to meteorological data. This methodology has produced what the committee calls "an increase in signal to noise ratio," and has produced the first series of evaluations of rainmaking showing positive results. Granted that the committee's statistical procedures are sound, it can be inferred that in a fraction of the iodide-seeded storms analyzed, major increases in precipitation were produced. • Future Outlook. The committee sees no need for federal regulatory legislation at this time. I t says that, for t h e most part, commercial cloud seeding is in competent hands, a n d that if future large-scale seeding operations are to b e conducted, cloud-seeders will cooperate fully. Much work remains to b e done on weather control by chemical intervention, and t h e committee recommends that Congress continue the committee operation for two more years. T h e group also recommends that the N a tional Science Foundation support research in branches of science bearing on the physics of the atmosphere. Future weather control projects include suppression of hail by chemical cloud seeding. Experiments conducted under scientific auspices show that at least a 50% reduction in hail is possible. If hail can b e suppressed, it might be possible to inhibit lightning, since the same storm conditions that produce hail usually produce lightning. The committee is cooperating with the Department of Agriculture in a lightning control experiment in Idaho and Montana called "Project Skyfire." Success in these projects might indicate possible success in modifying tornadoes. However, this appears to be a project for the remote future. First results are expected soon from the small-scale experimental weather control project recently established b y the committee at the Mt. Washington, N . H., Weather Observatory. Weather conditions here are ideal for t h e purpose, probably the most favorable in the entire country.
Executive Pool Set Up O D M to organize ready reserve of business leaders to administer government wartime controls A NEW ready reserve of executives, trained to take over administration of government controls in the event of a national emergency, was established by President Eisenhower last week. The group, to b e known as the National Defense Executive Reserve, will consist of 3000 to 4000 individuals. T h e director of the Office of Defense Mobilization will b e responsible for all phases of operation of the program. Executives will be trained for service in the O D M a n d the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Labor, and Interior. T h e Interior Department is included because of emergency wartime powers vested in it with respect t o petroleum, coal, and electric energy. Trainees will b e drawn from business and labor organizations. A volunteer must have the consent of his employer and must agree t o come to Washington or some other designated place for training. No salary will be paid to t h e trainees, b u t they will receive transportation expenses not to exceed a fixed sum for every day spent away from home or regular place of business. T h e Executive Order forbids the r e servists from taking any part in or giving any advice o n any matters p e n d i n g before the agency in which they a r e being trained. Their activities a r e limited to "receiving training for mobilization assignments under the reserve program." During the training period only, reservists are exempt from t h e conflict-of-interest laws. In carrying o u t the executive reserve training program, director of O D M Arthur S. Flemming will have these r e sponsibilities: • Institute and direct the executive r e serve program. • Coordinate activities of other agencies in establishing units of the reserve. • Provide appropriate standards of r e cruitment and training. • Issue necessary rules and regulations in connection w i t h the program. • Report to the President annually o r more often on t h e progress made. To prepare for the program established by the Executive Order, O D M has been conducting a pilot training program. About 40 executives w e r e trained in the pilot program.
