West LA Times

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain has expressed skepticism about the possibility of humans ever controlling the weather. In a recent discussion, Swain addressed various aspects of weather modification, including cloud seeding and other controversial methods.

Swain dismissed the notion that humans could form, destroy, or steer individual weather systems such as hurricanes. He stated, “Forming or destroying or steering individual weather systems — like a hurricane — is not just something that we can’t do now, but it’s also something that I don’t think we’re ever going to be able to do.”

Cloud seeding was another topic Swain discussed. He acknowledged its existence but emphasized its limited effectiveness. According to Swain, “There is such a thing as cloud seeding. It might work, and it only works under certain conditions and to a very limited extent so far as we understand it today.” He added that claims about its efficacy are often exaggerated and noted that even optimistic assessments admit it can only slightly increase precipitation in specific conditions.

Addressing more extreme proposals, Swain rejected ideas like using nuclear bombs to dissipate hurricanes. He explained that hurricanes release much more energy than nuclear explosions and warned of the consequences: “all you’re left with is a radioactive hurricane.”

Swain further elaborated on the challenges of controlling storms due to inherent uncertainties in weather forecasting. He remarked, “Even if you could harness that power, you still wouldn’t be able to control exactly where a storm went or how it intensified.”

Swain's insights come from his expertise in extreme weather at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. His comments were part of a live briefing held on October 17 on YouTube concerning wildfire weather in California.