OCT 8 97

PETER H. DOMINICK COMMITTEES:

COLORADO

ARMED SERVICES
LABOR AND PusLic WELFARE
JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY
SELECT COMMITTEE ON EQuAL.

2’ Cnifed Dtate Ss Denate EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

SELECT COMMITTEE ON
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510 SMALL Business

Oetober 4, 1°71

Dr. Joshua Lederberr

Professor of Genetics

Department of Genetics

Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Dr, Lederberg:

Thank you for your letter of September 22 and
the cony of your article in the Washinston Post
resarding hurricane modification.

I thousht the article was excellent and arree
with your analysis. TI haven't seen the Stanford
Research Institute report,but I have asked a mem-
ber of my staff to look throuch itt. There is no
question that whether to move from research into
operations is essentially a political decision. So
Congress must share the blame for trretrtevable
opnortunities lost while a decision is nostnoned.
Pailure to decide is often the enuivalent of decid-
ins to take no action.

Overcoming the ignorance and misinformation
ahout weather modification in order to lay the hasis
for a reasonable decision is a formidable problem.
As far as Conmress is concerned, debate on lemisla-
tion is probably as sood an approach as anv. But I
don't really know how to go ahout educating the vub-
lic. I do intend to continue exnressing mv views on
this, though.

Thanks again for sharing vour thinking with me.
Best regards.

Sincerely,

  

United States Senator

PHD: cwm