India has embarked on a novel experiment to tackle its notorious air pollution by seeding clouds with silver iodide over Delhi, hoping to bring down toxic fumes. The plan was proposed by the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) which came into power earlier this year and has been touted as a means to combat the city's suffocating smog.
The technique, known as cloud seeding, involves dispersing silver iodide particles into clouds, which then stimulate rain formation. This may potentially wash away pollutants but experts are skeptical about its efficacy. According to two professors at Delhi's Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, it is an "unsuitable remedy" that lacks scientific backing and poses unknown risks.
While the government has set October 29 as a target date for the city's first artificial rain, critics argue that this is merely a short-term fix without addressing the root causes of pollution. The experts point to the lack of research into long-term effects on agriculture and human health due to repeated use of chemicals used in cloud seeding.
Delhi has been named the world's most polluted city for over a decade now, with pollution levels spiking by 6% in 2024 compared to the previous year. The city's notorious smog problem is worsened during winters when fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) exceeds Beijing's infamous airpocalypse levels from 2013.
The government's plan may be met with a mix of optimism and skepticism as it seeks to alleviate Delhi's severe pollution crisis.
The technique, known as cloud seeding, involves dispersing silver iodide particles into clouds, which then stimulate rain formation. This may potentially wash away pollutants but experts are skeptical about its efficacy. According to two professors at Delhi's Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, it is an "unsuitable remedy" that lacks scientific backing and poses unknown risks.
While the government has set October 29 as a target date for the city's first artificial rain, critics argue that this is merely a short-term fix without addressing the root causes of pollution. The experts point to the lack of research into long-term effects on agriculture and human health due to repeated use of chemicals used in cloud seeding.
Delhi has been named the world's most polluted city for over a decade now, with pollution levels spiking by 6% in 2024 compared to the previous year. The city's notorious smog problem is worsened during winters when fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) exceeds Beijing's infamous airpocalypse levels from 2013.
The government's plan may be met with a mix of optimism and skepticism as it seeks to alleviate Delhi's severe pollution crisis.
. I mean, we all know how bad air quality is there, especially during winters 
. And hey, even if it dont work out, at least theyre tryin somethin new, right? 
I've seen some vids of this stuff online and its actually pretty neat, like a big sci-fi movie 
️. Plus, its not just about the gov, its also about the people who are affected by pollution, like farmers and whatnot 
. They should be supported and given options to deal with the problem instead of just hopin it goes away magically 
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. It's not just the air quality that's affected, but also their overall health and well-being. I can imagine how scary it must be to wake up every morning knowing that your city is one of the most polluted on the planet 
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. I hope they listen to the experts and take their concerns seriously. The people of Delhi deserve better! 
Anyway, I guess it's better than nothing, right? But seriously, can't our gov just make us wear masks all day instead of messing with the clouds? 
And 6% more pollution in 2024 is like, 0.6% less hope for my sanity. This smog problem is killing me (not literally, please don't let it be). Maybe we should just import a healthy dose of fresh air from Iceland or something? 
. can't we just invest in cleaner energy sources and public transportation instead of trying to 'seed' our way out of this mess? 
i'm not sure if it'll actually work but at least they're trying right? i feel bad for the people living in delhi having to deal with all that smog 
Not to mention the potential effects on agriculture and human health. It's like throwing a band-aid on a deep wound. We need to address the root cause of pollution, not just cover it up with some fancy tech trick. 
What do you guys think? Should we be skeptical about this plan or should we give it a chance? 
. I mean, seeding clouds with silver iodide? That's like throwing a bunch of random stuff at the problem and hoping for the best 
. And don't even get me started on the lack of research into long-term effects... it's just a short-term fix to distract us from actually solving the problem 
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. I'm all for innovation, but come on, folks! How about investing in actual solutions instead of magic tricks? 
! Like, I get that the air quality in Delhi is super bad, but have we thought this through? These professors are right, there's no real research on how it'll affect our health and the environment in the long run. It's just a Band-Aid solution 
, if you ask me. We need to tackle the root causes of pollution, like transportation emissions and industrial waste. I mean, have they even thought about how this will impact agriculture? That's some important stuff right there! 
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Not exactly what you want from your air purification methods.
. And okay, so maybe it's not the perfect solution, but is it worth nothing?
. I was there for a friend's wedding and we got stuck in this crazy traffic jam during rush hour... anyway, back to this cloud seeding thing... I don't know if it'll make a difference or not, but at least they're trying, right? 
. I mean, I get it, the city's in a mess and someone needs to do something, but this feels like a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. What about actually addressing the emissions from all those factories and vehicles? That's what's causing the pollution, not just some magic silver iodide trick 
. And don't even get me started on the unknown risks... I'm not buying it 
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