In August 2008, shortly before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the Beijing sky was thick with smog. To the Communist Party bigwigs, this was an unacceptable backdrop for China’s big debut on the international stage. So, the Beijing Weather Modification Office was called in to clear the air. More in this series: The Diplomatic Deadlock The Adaptation Advantage Pole Position The Ocean Edge Climate Consensus With planes and modified anti-aircraft guns, technicians fired canisters of silver iodide into the clouds, releasing ice-like crystals. The water vapor condensed, and it rained all around the city. By the time the foreign visitors arrived, the Beijing skies had turned to a picture-perfect blue. Human beings have long dreamed of controlling the weather. In the 1840s, James Pollard Espy, the U.S. federal government’s first meteorologist, proposed setting fire to the Appalachian mountains to stimulate rainfall. In the 1960s and 1970s,
Is Regime Change Possible? Niall Ferguson vs. Richard Haass
Is war with Iran necessary, or a catastrophic choice? Two of the West’s most prominent foreign-policy thinkers clash over the defining geopolitical questions of our…
Thought Leader: Niall Ferguson
Dr. Sanjay Gupta Explains Why You Should Take Your Shoes off at the Door
Whether it’s a cultural custom or hygiene preference, many households keep a strict no-shoes policy. But, how much healthier does it really keep us? Dr.…
Thought Leader: Sanjay Gupta
Peter Zeihan: Iceland and Norway Ponder EU Membership
From WWSG speaker Peter Zeihan: The wheels over in Iceland and Norway are starting to turn. Both countries have much of what Donald Trump says…
Thought Leader: Peter Zeihan
