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<br />__ The staff is exploring prospects for analyzing alternative systems of <br />development for the Columbia River. The ohjective would be (I) to <br />identif}' the s}'stem of development involving both Canadian and United <br />States' portions of the river, which would maximize the net benefit from <br />development to the two countries combined; and (2) to address the <br />problem of an equitable division of the net benefits between the two <br />countries. If the project proves practicable, it will be directed b}' John <br />V. Krutilla. <br /> <br />WEATHER AND WATER <br /> <br />The forthcoming Resources for the Future study, <br />"Technology in American Water De'l/dolmlcnt," <br />examines mallY phases of technology that bear on <br />water del/elofrmetlt and water resource adminis- <br />tration. The following article is based upon a <br />dJtJpter dealjng with wea/ber 11lodificaNon and the <br />prospects it may bold for national or regional <br />economic benefit. Edward A. Ackerman, 'who <br />with George O. G. Lof is co-author of tbe book, <br />Sl'Tt/cd liS a conmltatlt with the AdviSOr)! Com- <br />mittee on Weather Control, - <br /> <br />In the short period since November 1946, when the first successful <br />experiments on cloud seeding in the United Stales were carried out by <br />V. J. Schaefer, weather modification in this country has become an im- <br />portant subject for scientific research and an interesting commercial <br />enterprise. <br />Although cloud seeding ;s not the only technique of weather modification <br />in use or in prospect, it is at present by far the most widespread. Other <br />methods now in practical use are of extremely limited application. For a <br />number of years orchards bave been protected from frost at critical periods <br />by artificial heating, when the layer of cold air was shallow enough to <br />make such heating pos~ible. Fog in airport areas also has been dissipated <br />by artificial means. <br />At the other extreme are the possibilities of modifying weather on such <br />a vast scale that climates over large areas might be altered. The energy <br />which is required for weather phenomena is derived frum the sun. Theo- <br />retically there are several feasible ways of modifying the way in which <br />the reception and release of solar heat are distributed on the earth's surface. <br />Examples are the maintenance of artificial clouds o\'er certain areas, the <br /> <br />18 <br />