09 March 2008
Control Over Mother Nature?
Montana State University researches have found that certain bacteria in the atmosphere may play a role in precipitation. The evidence they have uncovered shows that these bacteria act as nuclei. Nuclei are the basis of a rain drop, snow flake, etc. These nuclei are usually ice or dust particles. Water freezes onto these particles and more and more ice clumps onto them. These form the basis of clouds. These bacteria that act as nuclei are special because they are reusable and also reproduce. When the rain falls to the ground, if a bacterium lands on a plant, it will reproduce. Chances are thousands of these bacteria will land on plants, and they all will reproduce. These bacteria will again get swept up unto the atmosphere and the cycle will repeat itself. The cycle is called biological precipitation, or the "bio-precipitation cycle."
There has been research on this topic from Montana to Russia. The researchers hope to be able to harness these bacteria and make drought less of a problem.
Read The Article Here
Answer the questions below:
1. Is this topic worth continued research? Do you think controlling precipitation is even possible in the future?
2. If control over precipitation was ever achieved, would it be moral/ethical to use?
3. The article says that some of these bacteria are "capable of causing disease." Do you think it would be worth the risk to use the bacteria and make it rain to help crop growth in areas of low rainfall, or is the potential for a new "super flu" too great ?
4. Name one other environmental (global or local) problem that we should investigate. How important is that environmental problem to you personally? Link to a site that talks about that issue.
Take the poll below:
# posted by Glucose @ 6:23 PM 
