Message to the Congress Transmitting National Science Foundation Report Entitled "Weather Modification."

To the Congress of the United States:

For centuries man has been the helpless prey of the elements, dependent on the weather for food, health, and even survival. Only recently have we discovered that, through science, weather can be modified for the benefit of all mankind.

It is, then, with pleasure that I transmit the Ninth Annual Report on Weather Modification, for fiscal year 1967.

During that year, research and field testing was increased, and action was taken by several Federal Agencies to discover the social and ecological problems of weather modification.

We now know that:

--Among all types of storms, hailstorms, which can severely damage crops and property, show the greatest promise for successful modification in the near future.

--Cold fog, which can cause hazards and delays at airports, can be dissipated by the application of dry ice or chemicals.

--The dynamics of cloud processes can be studied through computer-controlled, small-scale models.

This program is a pioneering effort in man's struggle to control his environment. In the coming years we must work with other nations to apply our whole range of technological skills to the problems of weather modification.

I commend this report to your attention.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

September 26, 1968

NOTE The report is entitled "Weather Modification, Ninth Annual Report, 1967: National Science Foundation" (Government Printing Office, 101 pp.)