The "Weather Control" Nonsense is Back Again

You might have seen the latest claims that China is handing out degrees in "weather engineering" and that they have vast weather control capabilities. 

I can't find any independent confirmation that China is handing out weather engineering degrees but I can say they do not have the vast weather modification abilities ("changing the land from desert to green") claimed. 

Per the American Meteorological Society, here's what can -- given the right atmospheric conditions -- be done:

One tool available for mitigating some of these weather impacts is planned weather modification through cloud seeding. In its most common form, specially formulated aerosols or very cold materials are dispersed in targeted locations within clouds to achieve precipitation enhancement, hail damage mitigation, fog clearing, and other intentional effects.

In the above context, "aerosols" are tiny particles such as silver iodide crystals. And, while we have had some success in the above endeavors, our success is limited. 

For the record, I have a degree in meteorology, a minor in engineering, plus 50+ years of experience. I did a term on the Kansas Board of Weather Modification in the 1970's. 

Our ability to modify the weather is limited. Generally speaking, we can add 5 to 15% of rain or snow in mountain areas (only) over what would have fallen anyway. So, if the clouds are such that zero would have fallen naturally, an extra 15% is still zero. It is only when the correct cloud types and wind currents can carry silver iodide crystals upward into the mountain air that additional rain or snow could fall. 

Our ability with regard to hail damage mitigation is more speculative but there appears to be limited success. 

Those are the facts.