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1. •  
     CommentAuthorsebfowler
   • CommentTimeJan 8th 2008

    (423.21)
   We had some pretty amusing attempts at this by the previous Australian government, prior to the election.
   With the years of drought and the country running out of water, our previous environment minister thought this would be a good idea:
   

   Mr Turnbull found the time to announce that the Government, already in caretaker mode, would bankroll to the tune of $10 million the investigation of an untried Russian technology that aims to trigger rainfall from the atmosphere, even when there are no clouds. It's a decision that raised the eyebrows of water experts around the country. Mr Turnbull's office says there's no breach of caretaker protocol because the project was actually approved before the election was announced. It's described as "rainfall enhancement technology" and is said to electro-charge the atmosphere to milk unseen moisture from the skies.

   
   I particularly like this part of the report:
   

   NEVILLE FLETCHER, PHYSICIST, ANU: I think the conclusion was, and I might even quote that it said "there is no evidence to show that the technology does not work"

   
   From this TV report a few months ago.
   More on the technology here.
   And a similar stunt here.
2. •  
     CommentAuthornorton
   • CommentTimeJan 8th 2008

    (423.22)
   "Claiming that future technologies will solve all our problems is hypocrisy at best. "
   
   Surely we should be trying to solve this problem from as many angles as possible. Reduction, sustainable design/energy, future technologies all working for a common goal.