What goes up must come down? A rocket is fired into the sky to seed a rain cloud in rural China.
Posted on 7/7/2007, 9:02:09 PM by COUNTrecount
China is promising the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be bathed in sunshine - because it is planning to disperse any rain clouds with special rockets.
The world's most populous country is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure the opening ceremony will not be plagued by downpours which often afflict its capital in August.
Boffins have come up with a cunning plan to force the heavens to open by firing chemical-infused rockets at storm clouds, forcing them to burst before the set-piece spectacle gets underway.
What goes up must come down? A rocket is fired into the sky to seed a rain cloud in rural China
"We will use catalytic agents to force the rain clouds over the National Stadium to fall down prior to the opening ceremony," Zhang Qiang told the state-run China Daily.
However, the plan depends on accurate weather forecasts or spectators in the spectacular - but uncovered - National Stadium may get wet on August 8 next year after all.
"We are still in the experimental stage," Zhang said.
"The lack of rain so far this summer is making it difficult to conduct more experiments and collect enough data. We need more rain."
China already battles drought with a huge arsenal of anti-aircraft cannons loaded with silver iodine bullets which are designed to seed rain clouds.
Wang Yubin, a Beijing meteorologist, said the weather bureau would use "catalytic agents to force rain clouds to burst, should there be any, hours before the (opening) ceremony", to ensure good weather.
But he added: "The forecast will have to be fairly accurate or we will not be able to fulfil our mission ... Cloud dispersal is more difficult than seeding, and we are working on it," the paper quoted Wang as saying.
A more pressing problem facing the authorities is the poor air quality in Beijing and the smog which often blankets the rapidly-growing city.
Beijing has plans to shut down its factories and prohibit traffic during the Olympics in a bid to keep the air clean.
What goes up must come down? A rocket is fired into the sky to seed a rain cloud in rural China.
I am not watching ONE MINUTE of the Propaganda Olympics.
A mixture of melamine, banned antibiotics, diethylene glycol, and lead.
Raindrops
So many raindrops
It feels like raindrops
Falling from my eyes
Falling from my eyes
Since my love has left me
I’m so all alone
I would bring her back to me
But I don’t know where she’s gone
I don’t know where she’s gone
There must be a cloud in my head
Rain keeps falling from my eyes
Oh no it can’t be teardrops
For a man ain’t supposed to cry
So it must be raindrops
So many raindrops
It feels like raindrops
Falling from my eyes
Falling from my eyes
Raindrops Raindrops
Raindrops Raindrops Raindrops
It must be the rain falling down from the sky
How can so many tears
Fall from my eyes
Oh there must be a cloud in my head
Rain keeps falling from my eyes
Oh no it can’t be teardrops
For a man ain’t supposed to cry
So it must be raindrops
So many raindrops
It feels like raindrops
Falling from my eyes
Falling from my eyes
It keeps on falling
Falling from my eyes
(Sincerest apologies to Dee Clark)
Hehe! They want clean air too and the rain is very good at cleaning the air. How does this country make it through a single day?
Why are they trying to stop the rain? At least it washes away the gray smog.
"The report said that the US Environmental Protection Agency estimated that on certain days nearly 25% of pollution in the skies above Los Angeles could be traced to China."
The batting average of totalitarian countries against God is fairly poor. I’m willing to bet it rains.
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