I am from South Florida, the unofficial sunshine/lightning capital of the world. Let's just say that the weather down there is often a lot more interesting than Virginia's usual forecasts of "haze" or "wintry mix."
And so, during these last partly cloudy/drizzly weeks, my attention has been focused on the state I love and the barrage of hurricanes that seem to have decided that Florida needs to be wiped off the map.
Since the beginning of August, two major hurricanes have slammed into Florida's coasts, downing millions of power and phone lines, destroying thousands of homes and causing billions of dollars worth of damage. It is still only September and the hurricane season lasts well into November.
In response, many scientists (and quite a few laymen) have been looking for ways to either weaken or divert major storms before they make landfall. According to articles in USA Today, The New York Times and several science magazines, one company, Dyn-O-Mat, claims to have invented a water-absorbent powder, Dyn-O-Gel, that can make storm clouds disappear.
Before I continue, I should voice my own doubts about the legitimacy and effectiveness of this product. To me, Dyn-O-Gel sounds a bit reminiscent of Baby Eve, the human clone in Israel. I would not be surprised to learn that the directors of Dyn-O-Mat and Clonaid were in the same Raelean cult.
In any case, assuming that Dyn-O-Gel is a real product that works, it raises certain ethical questions about what right we have to manipulate the weather, and whether the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs.
Dyn-O-Mat, in one experiment, claims to have made an entire storm cloud off of the coast of Miami disappear after having scattered 4,000 kilograms of Dyn-O-Gel powder through the cloud. According to New Scientist Magazine, Dyn-O-Gel works by absorbing 2,000 times its weight in moisture. The gel particles are shaped like cornflakes, a shape which results in the maximum absorption. Once the particle is saturated, it becomes gelatinous and falls to the Earth where it will either dissolve in the salty sea or become biodegradable compost on land.
Dyn-O-Mat scientists pride themselves on their products being Earth friendly, but I think it seems that dumping 4,000 kilograms (that's 4.4 tons) of anything into the ocean or onto our lands is a bad idea, particularly if it's on a somewhat regular basis during the hurricane season.
Dyn-O-Mat admits that its product may not be ideal for hurricanes but advertises that Dyn-O-Gel is perfect for guaranteeing a rain-free outdoor event. But honestly, if I were sitting in a stadium, I'd rather get rained on than gelled on.
Also, if there's one thing everyone knows about the environment, it's that it works in cycles. There are cold phases and warm phases, rainy seasons and dry seasons, storm cycles and rest cycles. Florida just happens to be entering into a stormy cycle. If we interfere now, who's to say that we won't be messing up our future rest cycles? Do we really want to mess with such a fragile balance?
The answer to surviving the next several hurricane seasons isn't desiccating our storm clouds and polluting our seas. On a more basic level, we should work to increase preparedness. One major problem is that Florida has had several decades of mild weather thanks to natural environmental fluctuations and El Nino. During these years, shutters have been allowed to rot and roofs allowed to leak. Increased preparedness would mean lower human, environmental and monetary costs.
And finally, more northern states such as Virginia need to pay greater attention to what is happening to their southern counterparts. If a bad storm hits, and especially if several bad storms hit, it wreaks havoc on a state's economy. Emergency funds run low and even sometimes run out. Donate water and band-aids and batteries and diapers. Donate blood. I don't think we should change the weather (even if someday we can), but I do think we should help to make a difference in people's lives.
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