Laserfiche WebLink
<br />most important and must take into account the perceptions and interests of all <br />affected parties. <br /> <br />Few such assessments of weather modification have been conducted. The <br />most thorough and serious study thus far was the Technology Assessment of the <br />Suppression of Hail, a cooperative effort involving five groups under the <br />supervision of Stanley Changnon of the Illinois State Water Survey. This 18- <br />month project, initiated in 1975 with support from the National Science <br />Foundation (NSF), was limited to hail suppression and related rainfall <br />changes. <br /> <br />Similar technology assessments are needed for summer and winter <br />precipitation augmentation and hurricane moderation. An effort will be made <br />to complete assessments in these areas during the five years covered by this <br />plan. <br /> <br />3. Priorities <br /> <br />The objectives of technology assessment have high priority. The Weather <br />Modification .~visory Board identified the technology Eor winter orographic <br />precipitation enhancement as being "closest to Significant, broad-scale <br />operational use--of all cloud-seeding possibilities." Therefore, the first <br />assessment will focus on this technology. Technology assessments of summer <br />rain augmentation and hurricane amelioration will follow. <br /> <br />4. Organizational Responsibilities <br /> <br />The CAO Subcommittee on Weather ~odification will establish a task force <br />to address environmental. legal, social. economic, and institutional aspects <br />of weather modification. Key representatives of each Federal agency with <br />weather modification interests and experts outside the Federal government will <br />be included in the task force. The National Science Foundation and the <br />Department of Agriculture will support technology assessments as <br />appropriate. The Department of Agriculture will examine the possibility or <br />nationwide studies to identify potential benefits, losses, and related <br />societal issues involved in applying weather modification technology to <br />agriculture. Unsolicited studies of environmental, legal, economic, and <br />social aspects of weather modification are encouraged by appropriate NSF <br />programs. <br /> <br />Every Federal agency that conducts field <br />is responsible for carrying out the necessarl <br />investigations applicable to those projects. <br />guidance for these et forts. <br /> <br />projects in weather modification <br />environmental and societal <br />The task force will provide <br /> <br />- 47 - <br />