Future of weather: no more storms, earthquakes, tsunamis

By Dick Pelletier

      In just ninety seconds, the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed Japan’s economy throwing the nation into chaos. Instability opened the door for a military government, which quickly led to war in Southeast Asia, then to WWII, dishing out unimaginable horrors to the world.

      Could a 1923 disaster repeat itself? What if the Southern California “Big One”, forecast for years by experts, finally happened and 20 million people suddenly found their homes submerged in the Pacific Ocean? Would an event like this destroy the American economy, and how would that affect the rest of the world?

      Property losses from violent weather are increasing. The recent Myanmar cyclone and China earthquake have both caused huge losses in lives, weakened economies, and devastated areas. Everyone enjoys nature’s beauty and we could not exist without its bounty, but sometimes our planet can be harsh and unforgiving.

      Forward thinkers believe current knowledge of weather modification, combined with cutting edge science and technologies will one day provide an opportunity for humanity to inoculate itself against natural disasters.

      Geologists describe earth’s atmosphere as an envelope of air, rotating with the continents and oceans; receiving enormous amounts of energy from the Sun’s radiation, which powers weather events. Typical energy expended in a tornado funnel is equal to about fifty kilotons of explosives; a thunderstorm exchanges about ten times this much during its lifetime; and a moderate size Atlantic hurricane can build up to more than 1,000 megatons of energy.

      These vast quantities of power make it unlikely that brute-force techniques will ever lead to sensible weather modification. However, experts believe we could exert some control by creating instabilities in the atmosphere. Scientists successfully “seeded” clouds with dry ice to dissipate fog at airports and using similar ideas, research is underway to increase rainfall in dry western states to make life more comfortable in the hot desert.

      Earthquake control has received much attention recently. During underground nuclear weapons testing in Nevada, researchers observed that an explosion could lessen strain in rock layers. Some hypothesize that small timely explosions placed near fault lines could reduce the magnitude of shock waves from an earthquake.

      Now enter the amazing wonders of nanotech. Scientists theorize that advanced nanobot technologies expected by around mid-century could enable us to actually alter the planet’s molecular structure, creating a safe environment forever free from nature’s violence. Increased human intelligence expected in this same period, would give us the wisdom needed to perform these intricate terraforming procedures without endangering Earth’s future.

      Violent storms destroy many insect and plant species and create new ones, which, experts believe, contributes towards our planet’s health. Although today’s intelligence, human or machine, cannot calculate the repercussions of altering Mother Nature’s routine, forward thinkers believe that advanced intelligence expected by 2050 to 2075, will easily unravel the complexities of creating weather changes that protect humans and property, but still maintain planet eco-health.

      From 2050 to 2100, humanity will focus attention towards space with thousands of pioneer families flocking to Mars, Moon, and beyond. During this same “magical future” time, we will also learn to make our home planet more human-friendly and put an end to violent storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.