The French National Assembly this week faced a demand that the clouds in our skies be protected by UNESCO. The move comes amid concerns that weather systems could be scientifically manipulated for military or civilian use.
Who owns the clouds? A group of high school students, fearing the potential weaponization of weather systems, posed the question to the French parliament.
They were accompanied by French author and lawyer Mathieu Simonet in his book End of the cloudsHe argues that they are a precious natural resource that needs protection.
„Since the 1940s, experiments on clouds have been carried out in about 50 countries with the aim of manipulating the climate,” Simonet told the French newspaper. Parisian.
The technique consists of injecting silver iodide or other substances into the clouds from airplanes or ground-based canons to form ice crystals, explained doctor Laurent Deguillaume of the University of Clermont-Auvergne.
„They absorb moisture and turn into snow, ice or rain,” he added.
Another technique involves injecting salt into high-altitude clouds so that water particles grow and escape faster.
„The impact of these tests is not yet well documented, and the idea could lead to increased tensions between states.” Simonet warned.
He cited the 2018 example of an Iranian general who accused Israel of „stealing the clouds.” The request was quickly denied.
War Tactics
was also”Operation Popeye„, conducted by the Americans during the Vietnam War.
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