TESTIMONY BY DR. THOMAS P. DEFELICE BEFORE JOINT HEARING BY SEN. SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE & SPACE AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISASTER PREDICTION & PREVENTION, NOVEMBER 10, 2005:

I am honored to appear before you today in regards to Senate Bill S-517, the Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2005. My name is Dr. Thomas P. DeFelice. My background in weather modification began when I was 15 by reading books on the subject; I had many sessions with WMA forefathers Schaefer & Vonnegutt as an undergrad; my academic and subsequent professional career concentrated on learning the fundamentals of weather modification relevant sciences and its technologies; president of WMA (2000-2002), Chair WMA Public Information Committee (since 2004). I now work as the contractor program manager for 2 NOAA programs. I am here on my own behalf, expressing my own beliefs. I began this process, engaged John Leedom, who engaged Senator Hutchison & her staff, and here we are today.

Weather modification technologies are key to dealing with many present and potential future scientific, environmental, and socioeconomic issues like steadily increasing human suffering and property damage caused by hazardous weather (e.g., severe weather-Katrina, supercooled fog, freezing rain), fire, and other environmental problems related to “acid rain”, biological or chemical warfare, for instance. Their application generally increases rainfall amount. Rain contributes 1% of the total global water budget. Global water consumption presently makes up 8% of the total global water budget. Models estimate about 40% of the world’s population will live in water – stressed areas by the decade of the 2020’s and consumption will increase. Further, air pollution (global warming) is (are) reported to reduce the amount of rainfall. Hence, a need to develop new technologies, while applying proven techniques. Water rationing and water management techniques are useful, they Do Not replenish the reduced rainwater amount. (They simply put a small band-aid on a wound that requires multiple stitches.) Therefore they fail to resolve the issues’ root cause. Alternatively, weather modification technologies increase the rainfall amount (compared to normal) under certain conditions. (They simply put multiple stitches on a wound that requires multiple stitches.) Therefore weather modification technologies can resolve the issues’ root cause, which will be ensured through the research and development program set up by passing S-517 and its companion bill (HR 2995).

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[link to commerce.senate.gov]