Cloud Hitman, a cloud you don't like? Call these Master assassins for a measly 150K - Polidicks

Maybe it's just because I don't know much about silver oxide, but dumping this stuff into the atmosphere sounds like one of those things that seems like a great idea until we realize how much it's fucking over the environment.

[QUOTE=Giacomand;47105243]I bet this could fuck up the environment in the long term, the water cycle is very important for the ecosystem.[/QUOTE] If you use it every ten seconds sure but on the grand scale of things if a cloud turns to rain a few days before the moment it would have naturally turned every so often it's not going to disrupt anything. There's a reason this costs 150k and it'll likely stay at that price for a while if not forever.

[QUOTE=Rapscallion92;47106422]I'm not saying it can't be used responsibly, I'm just saying that it's gonna be nowhere near as simple or usable as you're suggesting. What happens to aquifers and shit? That in a lot of places are already being drained, who knows how bad it would be if we started calling rains down earlier on the path than they normally would. The problem is that this water in particular is the sort of shit that fuels rivers and aquifers, sure in some places rain might be able to be brought down and it could be a major boon but we're talking about fucking with a system in a really big new way and right now it would be pretty fucking foolish to assume we can handle it, because so far we can consistently failed to handle it when it comes to our environment.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Sableye;47107051]shouldn't this be illegal, i mean tampering with weather is...bad because its on such a large scale[/QUOTE] I don't want to make assumptions but you guys are either applying inconsistent standards or seriously ignorant of the degree to which we already screw with the natural water cycle. We build dams, we divert water for irrigation, we siphon lakes for drinking water, we build cities and skyscrapers so tall they affect weather patterns. Without wholly artificial control of how water is distributed, Silicon Valley wouldn't exist, the Midwest wouldn't grow crops, Washington state would be uninhabitable marsh, New Orleans would be underwater, no major city would be able to survive, and much of our agricultural system would collapse overnight. What damage is making a cloud rain early going to do that we don't already facilitate and accept?

[QUOTE=catbarf;47108724] What damage is making a cloud rain early going to do that we don't already facilitate and accept?[/QUOTE] First off, the issue isn't about any one particular cloud, it is about how clouds in general will behave in an atmosphere that has these chemicals in it. Secondly, the major problem with cloud seeding is this; If clouds can't hold their rain, then they won't rain for long periods of time. They will dump, and disappear. What happens with that, especially in a hot climate such as, oh, I don't know, Africa and California, is that the water hits the ground, the rain stops, and it dries up because it doesn't have time to soak into the ground. The ground dries up and makes it especially difficult to maintain soil moisture. You need extended rainfall periods in order for soil to retain anything. Thirdly, don't act like we have been flawless in messing with the ground level water systems. It has worked in some cases, but in other cases it has either destroyed ecology or otherwise failed in it's purpose. This is especially true if the water doesn't collect anymore because of quick rainfalls that don't stick to anything. Oh, and fourthly, this isn't just limited to this one company. Major governments do this all the time - China and USA to name a couple.

Does it come with undying gratitude when used over a parched desert city?

[QUOTE=catbarf;47105320]There are thousands upon thousands of dams, man-made rivers, thermally reflective cities, artificial canals, and water transportation systems that say you are literally a hundred years too late with that complaint. We've been messing with the water cycle already in [URL="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-dying-of-the-dead-sea-70079351/?no-ist"]far more invasive and deliberate ways[/URL], making a few clouds rain early is not terribly invasive but could have extremely useful applications. And really, good luck telling people in Africa watching their crops die of drought that we're not responsible enough to alter the water cycle. There are lives on the line and the benefits clearly outweigh the leave-nature-alone hand-wringing.[/QUOTE] Besides that, the water-cycle is not only affected by humans but by natural events too, it's not a perfect cycle that happens over and over the same way, making a few clouds rain early might cause a drought somewhere but that's a butterfly effect just like anything that you or anything else that has the capability of moving on its own can apply to something else. It's as relevant to the water cycle as stepping on an ant, if you step on one today you can bring on ant extinction in a few years (very unlikely but enough to get the point across) but you can't predict it and you sure as hell aren't going to be looking constantly at the ground to make sure you don't step on any. I'm more worried about this "spray" and how long it stays in the atmosphere as well as its own impact on the environment (besides making clouds rain).