U.S. Senate Bill 517 & U.S. House Bill 2995

AGRICULTURE ALERT – December 2006

EXPERIMENTAL WEATHER MODIFICATION BILL DID NOT PASS IN 2006

THANK YOU TO EVERYNE WHO CALLED AND WROTE LETTERS

TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS!

By Rosalind Peterson

U.S. Senate Bill 517 and U.S. House Bill 2995, a bill that would allow experimental weather modification by artificial methods and implement a national weather modification policy, does not include agriculture or public oversight, is on the “fast track” to be passed in 2006.

This bill is designed to implement experimental weather modification. The appointed Board of Directors established by this bill does not include any agricultural, water, EPA, or public representatives, and has no provisions for Congressional, State, County, or public oversight of their actions or expenditures.

Weather Modification may adversely impact agricultural crops and water supplies. If the weather is changed in one state, region or county it may have severe consequences in another region, state or county. And who is going to decide the type of weather modification experimentation and who it will benefit or adversely impact?

This experimental weather modification bill will impact residents across the United States not just in California. Many current and ongoing weather modification programs (80 listed by NOAA in 2005), including the one in Wyoming that is designed to increase the snowpack, may be diverting rainwater away from Oklahoma and Texas, two states that are currently fighting fires caused by a lack of rainfall. We have no idea what the unintended consequences of the Wyoming action or other experimental weather modification programs might be now or in the future.

In addition to the experimental weather modification programs listed by NOAA, there are both private and ongoing government sponsored atmospheric testing and heating programs underway in Alaska and across the United States. Alaska Senator Stevens recently received $50 million in funding for Alaska’s atmospheric heating program.

All of these unregulated, private, government, and public weather modification programs, may also have unintended synergistic effects. Senate Bill 517 does not address these issues but intends to implement more experimental weather modification programs without a national debate or public oversight.

Artificial weather modification can impact all of us by reducing water supplies, changing agricultural crop production cycles, reducing crop production, and water availability. Since most experimental weather modification programs use chemicals released into the atmosphere the public could be subjected increasingly toxic or unknown substances that could adversely impact agricultural crops and trees.

Trimethyl Aluminum (TMA) and barium are just two of the toxic chemicals used in recent atmospheric heating and testing programs according to NASA. The Alaska H.A.A.R.P. atmospheric heating program may have the capability of changing the Jet Stream which could also change our weather.

Many private weather modification companies admit that precipitation effects may be positive or negative. Fog dispersal programs, using dry ice, liquid nitrogen, liquid propane or silver iodide may improve visibility while adversely impacting Redwood Trees along the California coast by depriving them of needed water they derive from the fog.

The increasing use of varied chemicals like aluminum (coupled with increasing air pollution), can severely impact tree health by depriving trees of water and nutrients normally absorbed through their root systems.

The December 2005 Popular Science Magazine discussed a plan to use an oil slick to stop hurricanes without noting the adverse environmental impacts of the oil used to cover the ocean.

Popular Science also noted that a private company, Dyn-O-Mat, plans to purchase jets to drop thousands of pounds of a water absorbing chemical powder (unknown substance), into hurricanes to absorb moisture that may dissipate hurricanes. There is no agriculture oversight or public hearings to determine the consequences of this and other actions or to monitor or prevent adverse impacts of this chemical once it falls on the surface of the ocean or on land.

Alaska and other areas across the United States are beginning to feel the impacts of climate change. Enormous changes are being seen in the declining health of native plant and tree communities in many areas across the United States.

NASA noted in an October 2005 newsletter that increasingly persistent contrails are “…trapping warmth in the atmosphere and exacerbating global warming…” NASA goes on to note that: “…Any increase in global cloud cover will contribute to long-term changes in Earth’s climate. Likewise, any change in Earth’s climate may have effects on natural resources…”

Global dimming and the persistent contrails, that produce man-made clouds, may have serious impacts on crop production. A recent corn crop study in Illinois shows that cloud cover reduces corn crop production while direct sunlight increases production. In addition, increasing man-made clouds may reduce the effectiveness of solar panels.

Gil Smolin, an Avian Bird Flu expert, noted on the Ron Owens Show on KGO Radio (January 5, 2006), that the flu was spread more quickly in the winter when there was a “lack of sunlight”. Would man-made clouds be contributing to the lack of sunlight which might cause the Avian Bird flu to spread more quickly at other times of the year? Experimental weather modification programs could also exacerbate this problem by changing climate patterns, increasing man-made cloud cover, and changing our weather and climate patterns.

Senate Bill 517 does not address any of these important issues. Its sole purpose is to establish an experimental weather modification policy without any agriculture or public oversight of private, military, and government programs. Without oversight or public hearings agriculture, our natural resources, and watersheds may be negatively impacted. And who will be responsible to determine the synergistic effects of these programs or pay for unintended disasters created by this experimentation. If these programs change growing seasons and interrupt the pollination process crop losses could be substantial exacerbating economic losses.

Please contact all of your elected local, state and federal officials to stop this bill in its present form. This bill needs to have appropriate agriculture and public oversight, with public hearings included, prior to any more experimental projects. We need a national dialogue on this subject before more experimentation takes place.

For more information please contact:

Rosalind Peterson
Post Office Box 499
Redwood Valley, California 95470
(707) 485-7520
E-Mail: info@californiaskywatch.com

Website: californiaskywatch.com

In 1995, Rosalind became a certified U.S.D.A. Farm Service Agency Crop Loss Adjustor working in more than ten counties throughout California. Many crop losses throughout the State can be attributed to weather related causes.

Rosalind has a BA degree from Sonoma State University in Environmental Studies & Planning (ENSP), with emphasis on agriculture and crop production.

Rosalind Peterson was born and raised on a working farm in Redwood Valley, California. The weather was the foremost factor in determining whether or not our tree crops produced fruit and nuts.

Between 1989 and 1993 Rosalind worked as an Agricultural Technologist for the Mendocino County Department of Agriculture. After leaving Mendocino County she took a position with the USDA Farm Service Agency as a Program Assistant in Mendocino, Sonoma, and the Salinas County Offices.


*******
The first successful protest rally against U.S. Senate Bill 517 was held in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2006.

The second successful educational forum and demonstration rally opposing U.S. Senate Bill 517 was held in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, April 29, 2006. The Agriculture Defense Coalition is now moving their message east across the United States toward Washington, D.C.

Concerned grassroots citizens are involved in this educational protest movement to protect agriculture from unwise experimental weather modification programs. “We, the people, simply will not accept this reckless experimenting on our weather and are fighting the passage of this bill in order to protect agricultural crop production and our water supplies.”

For Information on our Educational Forums Please Contact:
Bridget Conroy
Agriculture Defense Coalition
P.O. Box 54297
Phoenix Arizona 85078
(602) 404-0847
E-Mail: bcolemanconroy8@yahoo.com

http://www.arizonaskywatch.com


Recommended Book: The Dying of the Trees, by Charles Little 1995

Associated Reference Articles:

http://www.asp.bnl.gov/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=36105#

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2005-12-19-wyoming-cloud-seeding_x.htm

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/c955700641f87010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p1.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p2.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p3.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p4.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p6.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p7.pdf

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/Count/Oct2005/ConEdNews_p8.pdf

A copy of this bill is provided below:

(The full text is available online along with the current status of the bill at GovTrack.us)

U.S. Senate Bill 517 & U.S. House Bill 2995:


About GovTrack Your Settings Legislation Representatives Find:
bill number or keywords
109th Congress
S. 517: Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfe
Authorization Act of 2005
Return to Bill Status | Download PDF | Full Text on THOMAS
Calendar No. 319
109TH CONGRESS
S. 517
1ST SESSION
[Report No. 109202]
To establish the Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and
for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 3, 2005
Mrs. HUTCHISON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
DECEMBER 8, 2005
Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005
by Mr. STEVENS, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
[Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printe
A BILL
Introduced: Mar 3, 2005
Sponsor: Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX]
Status: Scheduled for Debate
Last Action: Dec 8, 2005: Placed on Senate
Legislative Calendar under General
Orders. Calendar No. 319.
Page 1 of 11 GovTrack: S. 517: Text of Legislation
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To establish the Weather Modification Operations and
Research Board, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
2 This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Modification
3 Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of
4 2005''.
5 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
6 It is the purpose of this Act to develop and implement
7 a comprehensive and coordinated national weather modi-
8 fication policy and a national cooperative Federal and
9 State program of weather modification research and devel-
10 opment.
11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
12 In this Act:
13 (1) BOARD.--The term ``Board'' means the
14 Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board.
15 (2) EXECUTIVE term ``Execu-
DIRECTOR.--The
16 tive Director'' means the Executive Director of the
17 Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board.
18 (3) RESEARCH term
AND DEVELOPMENT.--The
19 ``research and development'' means theoretical anal-
20 ysis, exploration, experimentation, and the extension
21 of investigative findings and theories of scientific or
22 technical nature into practical application for experi-
23 mental and demonstration purposes, including the
24 experimental production and testing of models, de-
25 vices, equipment, materials, and processes.
S 517 RS
3
1 (4) WEATHER term
MODIFICATION.--The
2 ``weather modification'' means changing or control-
3 ling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial
4 methods the natural development of atmospheric
5 cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in
6 the troposphere.
7 SEC. 4. WEATHER MODIFICATION ADVISORY AND RE-
8 SEARCH BOARD ESTABLISHED.
Page 2 of 11 GovTrack: S. 517: Text of Legislation
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9 (a) IN GENERAL.--There is established in the De-
10 partment of Commerce the Weather Modification Advisory
11 and Research Board.
12 (b) MEMBERSHIP.--
13 (1) IN Board shall consist of
GENERAL.--The
14 11 members appointed by the Secretary of Com-
15 merce, of whom--
16 (A) at least 1 shall be a representative of
17 the American Meteorological Society;
18 (B) at least 1 shall be a representative of
19 the American Society of Civil Engineers;
20 (C) at least 1 shall be a representative of
21 the National Academy of Sciences;
22 (D) at least 1 shall be a representative of
23 the National Center for Atmospheric Research
24 of the National Science Foundation;
S 517 RS
4
1 (E) at least 2 shall be representatives of
2 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
3 istration of the Department of Commerce;
4 (F) at least 1 shall be a representative of
5 institutions of higher education or research in-
6 stitutes; and
7 (G) at least 1 shall be a representative of
8 a State that is currently supporting operational
9 weather modification projects.
10 (2) TENURE.--A member of the Board serves
11 at the pleasure of the Secretary of Commerce.
12 (3) VACANCIES.--Any vacancy on the Board
13 shall be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
14 pointment.
15 (b) ADVISORY COMMITTEES.--The Board may estab-
16 lish advisory committees to advise the Board and to make
17 recommendations to the Board concerning legislation, poli-
18 cies, administration, research, and other matters.
19 (c) INITIAL MEETING.--Not later than 30 days after
20 the date on which all members of the Board have been
21 appointed, the Board shall hold its first meeting.
22 (d) MEETINGS.--The Board shall meet at the call of
23 the Chair.
S 517 RS
5
1 (e) QUORUM.--A majority of the members of the
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2 Board shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of
3 members may hold hearings.
4 (f) CHAIR VICE CHAIR.--The Board shall select
AND
5 a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members.
6 SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE BOARD.
7 (a) PROMOTION RESEARCH DEVELOP-
OF AND
8 order to assist in expanding the theoretical
MENT.--In
9 and practical knowledge of weather modification, the
10 Board shall promote and fund research and development,
11 studies, and investigations with respect to--
12 (1) improved forecast and decision-making tech-
13 nologies for weather modification operations, includ-
14 ing tailored computer workstations and software and
15 new observation systems with remote sensors; and
16 (2) assessments and evaluations of the efficacy
17 of weather modification, both purposeful (including
18 cloud-seeding operations) and inadvertent (including
19 downwind effects and anthropogenic effects).
20 (b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.--Unless the use of the
21 money is restricted or subject to any limitations provided
22 by law, the Board shall use amounts in the Weather Modi-
23 fication Research and Development Fund--
24 (1) to pay its expenses in the administration of
25 this Act, and
S 517 RS
6
1 (2) to provide for research and development
2 with respect to weather modifications by grants to,
3 or contracts or cooperative arrangements, with pub-
4 lic or private agencies.
5 (c) REPORT.--The Board shall submit to the Sec-
6 retary biennially a report on its findings and research re-
7 sults.
8 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE BOARD.
9 (a) STUDIES, INVESTIGATIONS, HEARINGS.--
AND
10 The Board may make any studies or investigations, obtain
11 any information, and hold any hearings necessary or prop-
12 er to administer or enforce this Act or any rules or orders
13 issued under this Act.
14 (b) PERSONNEL.--The Board may employ, as pro-
15 vided for in appropriations Acts, an Executive Director
16 and other support staff necessary to perform duties and
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17 functions under this Act.
18 (c) COOPERATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.--The
19 Board may cooperate with public or private agencies to
20 promote the purposes of this Act.
21 (d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.--The Board may
22 enter into cooperative agreements with the head of any
23 department or agency of the United States, an appropriate
24 official of any State or political subdivision of a State, or
25 an appropriate official of any private or public agency or
S 517 RS
7
1 organization for conducting weather modification activities
2 or cloud-seeding operations.
3 (e) CONDUCT CONTRACTS RESEARCH
AND FOR AND
4 DEVELOPMENT.--The Executive Director, with the ap-
5 proval of the Board, may conduct and may contract for
6 research and development activities relating to the pur-
7 poses of this section.
8 SEC. 7. COOPERATION WITH THE WEATHER MODIFICATION
9 OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH BOARD.
10 The heads of the departments and agencies of the
11 United States and the heads of any other public or private
12 agencies and institutions that receive research funds from
13 the United States shall, to the extent possible, give full
14 support and cooperation to the Board and to initiate inde-
15 pendent research and development programs that address
16 weather modifications.
17 SEC. 8. FUNDING.
18 (a) IN GENERAL.--There is established within the
19 Treasury of the United States the Weather Modification
20 Research and Development Fund, which shall consist of
21 amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (b) or re-
22 ceived by the Board under subsection (c).
23 (b) AUTHORIZATION APPROPRIATIONS.--There is
OF
24 authorized to be appropriated to the Board for the pur-
25 poses of carrying out the provisions of this Act
S 517 RS
8
1 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014.
2 Any sums appropriated under this subsection shall remain
3 available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.
4 (c) GIFTS.--The Board may accept, use, and dispose
5 of gifts or donations of services or property.
Page 5 of 11 GovTrack: S. 517: Text of Legislation
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6 SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.
7 This Act shall take effect on October 1, 2005.
8 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
9 This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Modification
10 Research and Development Policy Authorization Act of
11 2005''.
12 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
13 It is the purpose of this Act to develop and implement
14 a comprehensive and coordinated national weather modi-
15 fication research policy and a national cooperative Federal
16 and State program of weather modification research and
17 development.
18 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
19 In this Act:
20 (1) BOARD.--The term ``Board'' means the
21 Weather Modification Research Advisory Board.
22 (2) RESEARCH term
AND DEVELOPMENT.--The
23 ``research and development'' means theoretical anal-
24 ysis, exploration, experimentation, and the extension
25 of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or
S 517 RS
9
1 technical nature into practical application for experi-
2 mental and demonstration purposes, including the ex-
3 perimental production and testing of models, devices,
4 equipment, materials, and processes.
5 (3) WEATHER term
MODIFICATION.--The
6 ``weather modification'' means the purposeful or inad-
7 vertent changing or controlling, or attempting to
8 change or control, by artificial methods, the natural
9 development of atmospheric cloud forms or precipita-
10 tion forms which occur in the troposphere.
11 SEC. 4. WEATHER MODIFICATION SUBCOMMITTEE.
12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.--The Director of the Office of
13 Science and Technology Policy shall establish a Weather
14 Modification Subcommittee to coordinate a national re-
15 search program on weather modification.
16 (b) MEMBERSHIP.--The Weather Modification Sub-
17 committee shall include representatives from appropriate
18 Federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and At-
19 mospheric Administration, the National Science Founda-
20 tion, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
21 tion.
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22 (c) CHAIRS WEATHER MODIFICATION SUB-
OF THE
23 representative from the National Oceanic
COMMITTEE.--A
24 and Atmospheric Administration and a representative from
S 517 RS
10
1 the National Science Foundation shall serve together as co-
2 chairs of the Weather Modification Subcommittee.
3 (d) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.--Not later than 180 days
4 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the
5 Office of Science and Technology Policy shall develop and
6 submit to Congress a plan for coordinated Federal activities
7 under the national research program under subsection (a)
8 and the plan shall--
9 (1) for a 10-year period beginning in the year
10 it is submitted, establish the goals and priorities for
11 Federal research that most effectively advances sci-
12 entific understanding of weather modification;
13 (2) describe specific activities required to achieve
14 such goals and priorities, including funding of com-
15 petitive research grants, training and support for sci-
16 entists, and participation in international research
17 efforts;
18 (3) identify and address, as appropriate, rel-
19 evant programs and activities of the Federal agencies
20 and departments that would contribute to the pro-
21 gram;
22 (4) consider and use, as appropriate, reports and
23 studies conducted by Federal agencies and depart-
24 ments, and other expert scientific bodies, including
S 517 RS
11
1 the National Research Council report on Critical
2 Issues in Weather Modification Research;
3 (5) make recommendations for the coordination
4 of program activities with weather modification ac-
5 tivities of other national and international organiza-
6 tions;
7 (6) incorporate recommendations from the
8 Weather Modification Research Advisory Board; and
9 (7) estimate Federal funding for research activi-
10 ties to be conducted under the program described in
11 subsection (a).
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12 (e) PROGRAM SCOPE.--The national research program
13 under subsection (a) may include the following activities
14 related to weather modification:
15 (1) Interdisciplinary research and coordination
16 of research and activities to improve understanding of
17 processes relating to weather modification, includ-
18 ing--
19 (A) cloud modeling;
20 (B) cloud seeding;
21 (C) improving forecast and decision-making
22 technologies;
23 (D) related severe weather research; and
24 (E) potential adverse affects of weather
25 modification.
S 517 RS
12
1 (2) Coordination with relevant organizations
2 that engage in weather modification research.
3 (3) Development through partnerships among
4 Federal agencies, States, and academic institutions of
5 new technologies and approaches for weather modi-
6 fication.
7 (4) Scholarships and educational opportunities
8 that encourage an interdisciplinary approach to
9 weather modification.
10 (f) ANNUAL REPORT ACTIVITIES.--Beginning with
ON
11 the first year occurring more than 24 months after the date
12 of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science
13 and Technology Policy shall prepare and submit to the
14 President and Congress not later than January 31st of each
15 year an annual report on the activities conducted pursuant
16 to this section during the preceding fiscal year, including--
17 (1) a summary of the achievements of Federal
18 weather modification research, including Federally
19 supported external research, during the preceding fis-
20 cal year;
21 (2) an analysis of the progress made toward
22 achieving the goals and objectives of the plan devel-
23 oped under subsection (d), including the identifica-
24 tion of trends;
S 517 RS
13
1 (3) a copy or summary of the plan and any
2 changes made to the plan;
3 (4) a summary of agency budgets for weather
4 modification activities for the preceding fiscal year;
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5 (5) any recommendations regarding additional
6 action or legislation that may be required to assist in
7 achieving the purposes of this Act;
8 (6) a description of the relationship between re-
9 search conducted on weather modification and re-
10 search conducted pursuant to the Global Change Re-
11 search Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 2921 et seq.), as well
12 as research on weather forecasting and prediction;
13 and
14 (7) a description of any potential adverse con-
15 sequences on life, property, or water resource avail-
16 ability from weather modification efforts, and any
17 suggested means of mitigating or reducing such con-
18 sequences if such efforts are undertaken.
19 SEC. 5. WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH ADVISORY
20 BOARD ESTABLISHED.
21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.--There is established in the Of-
22 fice of Science and Technology Policy the Weather Modifica-
23 tion Research Advisory Board to make recommendations to
24 the Weather Modification Subcommittee on matters related
25 to weather modification.
S 517 RS
14
1 (b) MEMBERSHIP.--
2 (1) COMPOSITION.--The Board shall consist of 9
3 members, each with a field of expertise in atmospheric
4 science or civil engineering relevant to weather modi-
5 fication, and appointed by the Director of the Office
6 of Science and Technology Policy as follows:
7 (A) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
8 tive of the American Meteorological Society.
9 (B) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
10 tive of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
11 (C) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
12 tive of the National Academy of Sciences.
13 (D) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
14 tive of institutions of higher education or re-
15 search institutes with experience in the field.
16 (E) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
17 tive of a State organization that is currently
18 supporting operational weather modification
19 projects.
20 (2) TENURE.--A member of the Board shall serve
21 at the pleasure of the Director of the Office of Science
22 and Technology Policy.
23 (3) VACANCIES.--Any vacancy on the Board
24 shall be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
25 pointment.
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S 517 RS
15
1 (c) INITIAL MEETING.--Not later than 30 days after
2 the date on which all members of the Board have been ap-
3 pointed, the Board shall hold its first meeting.
4 (d) MEETINGS.--The Board shall meet at the call of
5 the Chair.
6 (e) QUORUM.--A majority of the members of the Board
7 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members
8 may hold hearings.
9 (f) CHAIR VICE CHAIR.--The Board shall select
AND
10 a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members.
11 (g) DUTIES BOARD.--The duties of the Board
OF THE
12 shall include the following:
13 (1) Advising the Weather Modification Sub-
14 committee on recommendations concerning legislation,
15 policies, administration, research, and other matters
16 related to weather modification.
17 (2) In order to assist in expanding the theo-
18 retical and practical knowledge of weather modifica-
19 tion, the Board shall advise the Weather Modification
20 Subcommittee on the research and development, stud-
21 ies, and investigations with respect to--
22 (A) potential uses of technologies and obser-
23 vation systems for weather modification research;
24 and
S 517 RS
16
1 (B) assessments and evaluations of the effi-
2 cacy of weather modification, both purposeful,
3 including cloud-seeding operations, and inad-
4 vertent, including downwind effects and anthro-
5 pogenic effects.
6 (h) POWERS BOARD.--The Board may con-
OF THE
7 duct public meetings, gather information, and issue reports.
8 SEC. 6. COOPERATION WITH THE WEATHER MODIFICATION
9 SUBCOMMITTEE.
10 The heads of the departments and agencies of the
11 United States and the heads of any other public or private
12 agencies and institutions that receive research funds from
13 the United States related to weather modification shall, to
14 the extent possible, give full support and cooperation to the
Page 10 of 11 GovTrack: S. 517: Text of Legislation
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Copyright © 2005, but you're welcome to reuse/copy anything on this site. GovTrack isn't affiliated with the
U.S. Government or any other group. For more information, see About GovTrack. Email
comments@govtrack.us with questions or comments only about the operation of this website, not political
issues.
15 Weather Modification Subcommittee.
Amend the title so as to read: ``To establish a co-
ordinated national weather modification research and de-
velopment program, and for other purposes''.
S 517 RS
Calendar No. 319
109TH CONGRESS
S. 517
1ST SESSION
[Report No. 109202]
A BILL
To establish the Weather Modification Operations
and Research Board, and for other purposes.
DECEMBER 8, 2005
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the
title
Page 11 of 11 GovTrack: S. 517: Text of Legislation
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Mendocino County Agriculture

Sonoma County Agriculture

In 2002, the Press Democrat ran an article about the poorest apple crop in Sonoma County history. Many trees in Mendocino and Lake Counties, had their new leaves and blossoms crisped by some unknown chemical, between March 2002, and June 2002. The lingering jet contrails were everywhere in Mendocino, Lake, and Sonoma Counties during this time period. Could the chemicals from these lingering contrails and jet fuel emissions be a factor in the failure of the apple crop in Sonoma County in 2002?

California Agriculture Magazine May-June 2002, Volume 56 Number 3, articles:

1) Water will drive California response to climate change.

2) Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, associated with global warming, can interfere with a plant's ability to incorporate nitrogen.

3) Thomas Cahill, UC Davis professor emeritus of physics and atmospheric sciences.

4) There has been an investigation by aerosols scientists and monitoring of atmospheric conditions associated with global warming, weather, disaster and other events.

5) The article in Science Briefs states: "...Coarse particles are typically filtered by the nose or coughed out of the throat and upper lungs, but they can irritate the mucous membranes and aggravate pre-existing breathing problems such as asthma. Very fine particles, however, can travel deep into human lungs, and are typically removed from the lungs through the bloodstream and heart, increasing the possibility of more serious health impact..."

6) World grapples with climate change. One anticipated impact of climate change is heavier precipitation events and more severe droughts.

7) Global climate change will affect air, water in California. "...In California the impacts of global warming are likely to include reduced water availability and quality, poorer air quality, associated economic consequences, biodiversity shifts and health effects. The changes are expected to continue at an increasing pace well into the next century, perhaps outstripping our scientific, economic and social ability to cope with them..."

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