If the Chinese are doing it for the Olympics, why the heck can't London do it for Wimbledon?!? Or is it just too much of a tradition to have tennis players running in and out for their matches?

Mind you, up-wind would dump all the rain in the north-west again, causing even more troubles for the already flooded...

I just know that something bad is going to happen.

(Coat, etc)

That way we can rain off all these clouds over the Channel and Irish Sea and have some clear skies this summer!

Hey, you could shoot it over Scotland! They're used to rain...

The Soviet Union used to claim that suitable airborne application of cement dust to clouds around Moscow ensured bright skies for the annual proletarian marching and scaring the bejesus out of the West event.

I assume it had a side effect of producing instant car parks in the outer suburbs.

"250 billion tonnes of rain was artificially created "

artificially encouraged to fall rather than created would be closer to the mark... and even that's wild speculation considering the "best-guess" approach weather experts have to take w.r.t predictions.

There's a well known fact (tm) to counter these claims... Sensitive Dependance on Initial Conditions.

I rest my case m'luddites

I mean what happens to silver iodide once it is in the atmosphere.

From my quick googling long term chemical, physical and toxicological properties have not been thoroughly investigated

Couldn't they just build a roof? Or have a retractable canopy? -.-

What happens when the Americans see thousands of Chinese people rolling out weaponry? They'll be there quicker than you can say "Chinese oil supply".

I am currently in the process of developing a personal rain-deterrence device which I have code-named "umbrella" in order to keep the Chinese from divining my secret system.

I would welcome private investment from obvious forward thinkers such as yourself to bring my device to market before the "08 Olympics.

While your suggestions of "roof" and "retractable canopy" are imminently sensible, I believe there is much greater profit potential in my invention due to the potential of higher unit sales of personal protection instead of mass protection.

I can be reached through Tonyumbrella.con.

I don't think Madam Zhang will be able to stop the "drizzle" with her "crack force".

Better women have tried, all have failed.

It may create rain(?) but having lived in Beijing, I can tell you now, it scares the sh*t out of you when they start firing at 2am.

China is going to succeed in providing clear skies for the Olympics of 2008 if only Chinese take the help of Experienced Russian and American experts who previously worked on similar problems.Weather Modification can be done to either augment precipitation or to suppress precipitation by adjusting the amount of Chemical dosage to be usd as per guide lines on cloud seeding formulated by several countries like US states like Texas,Australia etc.

prof.T.Shivaji Rao.E-mail;profshivajirao@hotmail.com

my observations of modern Chinese culture and methods reveal a stark practicality in most of their actions. policies practiced by the state are rarely sentimental, and corporate culture seems even more hard-nosed.

their interest in safety is, shall we say, situational.

as for controlling weather, well, i reserve judgement until more tangible proof is available.