The Progressives' Handbook

Weather warfare

It may sound like something out of a James Bond movie, but a weapon capable of triggering climate change is in the works - and may already be fully operational.

A 1996 report commissioned by the Air Force predicts:

"In 2025, US forces can 'own the weather' by capitalizing on emerging technologies and focusing development of those technologies to war-fighting applications. Such capabilities offers the war fighter tools to shape the battlespace in ways never before possible &ldots; In the future, such operations will enhance air and space superiority and provide new options for battlespace shaping and battlespace awareness. The technology is there, waiting for us to pull it all together; in 2025 we can 'Own the Weather.'"

The technology is there all right - on a Defense Department site near Gakona, Alaska. It's called The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) and is run by the US Air Force and US Navy.

HAARP works by heating up parts of the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer just above the ozone layer, through radio frequency beams. The radiation bounces back to earth, and is thought to disrupt weather, communications and human health as a result.

HAARP's homepage sells it as "Arctic research to ensure the development of the knowledge, understanding and capability to meet national defense needs in the Arctic." But just how many national defense needs does the Arctic region really have?

Speaking to a group of Alaskan lawmakers in 1996, Richard Williams of Princeton University called HAARP "a global threat to the atmosphere," and added, "The project's internal documents indicate that plans include the eventual use of power levels up to ten billion watts. This is an enormous power level, more than 200 times the total electrical power level used by the city of Juneau. There could be a serious impact in the atmosphere that might result from energies of this magnitude."

Secrecy and mystery shroud the HAARP program, but one thing is clear: the Defense Department intends to complete its 180 massive towers equipped with antennas at Gakona. Whether this massive and costly undertaking is truly for national defense needs in the Arctic or something more sinister remains to be seen. 

"Ten Easy Ways to Make a Difference Now" section:   

1. Keep updated on WMD issues

If you've got internet access, and would like to learn more about WMD, then check out these sites: 

Federation of American Scientists
(www.fas.org)
Your one-stop-shop for WMD information, clearly organized under subheadings including (among others) Biological and Chemical Weapons, Nuclear Weapons, Arms Trade and Weapons in Space. The site also handily provides information on weapons systems around the world, easily accessible by country name.

Physicians for Social Responsibility
(www.psr.org)
Promotes "public policies that protect human health from the threats of nuclear war and other weapons of mass destruction, global environmental degradation, and the epidemic of gun violence in our society today."
 
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
(www.ippnw.org)
Seeks to "prevent all wars, to promote non-violent conflict resolution, and to minimize the effects of war and preparations for war on health, development, and the environment."
 

Nuclear Threat Initiative
(www.nti.org)
Comprehensive site with everything from country profiles on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, to tutorials and issue briefs. Sign up for its Global Security Newswire, offering "daily news updates about nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, terrorism and related issues."

If you're interested in the latest WMD and disarmament news, but prefer print publications to internet sites, then subscribe to one of the great journals in that field (Arms Control Today, Disarmament Diplomacy, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and Arms Control Reporter are but a few out there).

2. Find out if there are WMD facilities in your area

Curious about where the nation's nuclear weapons plants are located? Then check out the Federation of American Scientists' "Where the Bombs Are"  at: www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2006/11/new_article_where_the_bombs_ar.php