Comments on: Swiss Research Team Creates Rain By Firing Laser Beams Into the Sky Green design & eco innovation for a better world Sun, 28 Dec 2014 20:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 By: Calvin K Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:15:31 +0000 @mercurydan
maybe I am using the expression wrong or not specific enough. I meant it can both aid and harm human. Aid (some of) us mostly in the short term, harm mostly from the misused and possible long term effects.
Most of the places, I believe, that requires man-made rain will not be beside bodies of water like ocean — the places I can think of are far inland or at the wrong side of the mountain etc. Few African countries are already experiencing the damage of artificial water control – the farms upstream are redirecting so much water the countries downstream are fucked. (Mostly along the Nile river)
For the reverse use of making rain, i.e. eliminating them — Hurricane, monsoon, typhoon are also shared by many countries. If you eliminate them for one place, that could mean not enough water for the other.
“Green” is traditionally about how to play nicely with nature and ecosystem. Not how to “control” them. Control was never part of the Green initiative. Not to my knowledge.
And no, gun is not bad in itself. But gun is not “peace”. Just like this tech is not “green”. I hope my points make sense.

By: mercurydan Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:28:43 +0000 How can u say Definitely Not Green when you say its a double edged sword. Its a tool like a Gun or a knife, Is a gun bad? or does it depend on the user.
Yeah and when we can redirect the rain going into the open ocean, onto land instead, then why not.

By: msyin Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:54:34 +0000 This doesn’t strike me as a good one for science either. The implications of this being helpful to mankind seems to dance around the other side of the coin, which is mankind using this weather making device to manipulate and control otherwise natural systems with the effects being incredibly damaging. I would not put it past any government, group or agency to use this in a way that is not in the least beneficial and the ramifications of what this would do to the natural system of which we have shown a complete disregard, intelligence and respect for the ways things work is directly related to our problems we are having today. I think technology is great, but our arrogance is costing us enough as it is. We would be better served moving more into alignment and understanding of the planets natural systems than tampering any more with it as we have already done, almost to our demise.

By: the bystander Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:33:46 +0000 This will be a double edge sword. Human has been terraforming for ages, and a lot of our current problems are the fruits of our own short sightedness.
I think most ppl who view this as “wow wonderful” forget where this water will come from. If you make it rain here, that means it will not rain somewhere else. We are in a closed system… resources does not come out of a magic box infinitely.
This will need to be used with a good understanding of the eco-system. But seeing how we currently redirect rivers, create dams, and extract underground water… this tech could be disastrous in the long run.
Definitely NOT green.