61 Years Ago Today: Weather Modification Discussion in Congress

17 August 2026 | ZEROGeoengineering.com | The following August 17, 1965 SENATE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD was approved for release by the CIA in 2003. Discussion is on “RAINMAKERS” cloud seeding experiments, focusing on California weather modification operations, including with dry ice and silver iodide. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, or “CO2“. According to PubChem, solid carbon dioxide (CO2) is registered for pesticide use in the U.S. for insect control and also used as rodenticide for mice and rats.

The narrative is remarkably similar to the current marketing of weather modification with an emphasis on getting more funding for “research” experimentation. A series of newspaper articles that were published in the “Bakersfield Californian” promoting weather modification were submitted into the record.

[From the Bakersfield Californian, July 29, 1965]

RAINMAKERS’ Records Indicate Cloudseeding Procedures Pay

“One of the reasons why cloud seeding to increase rainfall has not become a more common practice is that it takes years of work and mountains of data to come up with conclusive evidence on how well it works and what’s the best way to do it.

Precipitation Control Co. of California, has compiled an impressive record of weather information tending to show that its cloud-seeding operations have resulted in substantial rainfall increases…”

“Most of the official interest in weather modification has gone into ‘way out’ research that has no local economic value…In huge university laboratories, scientists are making painfully slow progress toward weather satellites and schemes to regulate weather over vast land masses.”

Link to Full Document August 17, 1965 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE

*Readers will note that many pages of the August 17, 1965 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD are “missing.”

Nevertheless, some fascinating unrelated remarks (below) are provided by Hon. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina along with an editorial regarding government spending — which are still quite relevant today.

“The point is that the Central Government does not earn income of its own. All the money that it distributes to the States must come from the people, and before the money can be distributed by the Government, the cost of operating the Government must be deducted. The American people need to be reminded of this fact more often…”

“The truth is that Government can “give” nothing. It can only take the money from the people, now or on some future date, to pay the costs–and also enough must be added to pay the administrative and bureaucratic overhead. These costs alone are frightening.

Remember this truism–nothing material is free–government least of all.”