EPA Investigating Geoengineering Startup for Releasing Sulfur Dioxide Balloons

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency is demanding information from a company called “Make Sunsets” that sends balloons of sulfur dioxide into the sky in an attempt to cool the planet. Zeldin said the agency will investigate whether Make Sunsets is subject to the rules of the Clean Air Act.

Mexico issued a press release in January 2023 and banned the practice of solar geoengineering after Make Sunsets conducted unauthorized experimental balloon launches in Mexico’s state of Baja California. The translated Mexican press release states, “There are sufficient studies demonstrating that there would be negative and unequal impacts associated with the release of these aerosols, which cause meteorological imbalances such as torrential winds and rains, as well as droughts in tropical areas; they also have an impact on the thinning of the planet’s ozone layer.”

The company is selling “cooling credits” to gain funds for the experimental practice. The founders say that their method of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection mimics the natural processes of volcanoes that release sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The company’s website explains, “It reacts with water vapor to form sulphate aerosols, which then reflect sunlight and lower global temperatures.”

In the press release, Zeldin said, “The idea that individuals, supported by venture capitalists, are putting criteria air pollutants into the air to sell ‘cooling’ credits shows how climate extremism has overtaken common sense. Based on Make Sunsets’ responses to our information request, we will look into all our authorities to ensure that we continue maintaining clean air for all Americans.”

The company responded to Zeldin’s inquiry with a post on X that states, “We’re a two-person startup, and proud that the EPA is paying attention. Stratospheric aerosol injection has incredible leverage: just 1 ton of SO₂ in the stratosphere offsets 1 million tons of CO₂ warming for a year. That deserves scrutiny and support. Let’s scale this solution responsibly.”

The company also shared posts from supporters encouraging others to buy cooling credits to help Make Sunsets continue its mission.

“Their website states they want to scale this activity significantly and have already conducted over 124 deployments,” the EPA press release said. “It is unclear where the balloons are launched and where the SO2 is from. Furthermore, it is not known if the company has been in contact with any state, local or federal air agencies. Thus, EPA is submitting a demand for information to get answers and plans to take additional actions as necessary.”

The EPA added, “Sulfur dioxide has been regulated by EPA since 1971 as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) program. Sulfur dioxide can harm human health and the environment. Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. People with pulmonary diseases, particularly children, are sensitive to the effects of SO2. Additionally, SO2 can react in the atmosphere, leading to acid rain or form particles that harm health and impair visibility.”

The EPA is requesting information about each of the company’s balloon launches, including location, highest altitude the balloon reached, chemical compositions, and the amount of gas in each balloon. The letter also contains a questionnaire requesting information about the company’s method of procurement for materials and the protocols for releasing and tracking the balloons.

The EPA is asking Make Sunset to describe the raw materials used, how they are obtained, and if any modifications are made. The agency wants to know the names of the suppliers and a detailed description of how the gases are inserted into the balloons, including the emissions that are associated with this process.

Make Sunsets is being asked to describe interactions it has had with federal, state, local, and international governments in regard to the coordination of balloon launches. This includes any permits they have obtained and detailed descriptions of any instances in which governments have banned them from conducting their balloon launches.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the only state-level ban on geoengineering last year. In 2023, an open letter was signed by 110 “physical and biological scientists studying climate and climate impacts about the role of physical sciences research, including the central role it plays in effective governance.” The signees say that more robust research should be conducted into solar radiation modification as a potential method to slow climate warming.

The letter states, “While we fully support research into SRM approaches, this does not mean we support the use of SRM. Uncertainties in how SRM implementation would play out in the climate system are presently too large to support implementation.” They call for a “comprehensive, international assessment of how SRM interventions would affect climate risks regionally and globally” before any real-world implementation of SRM.

The letter adds, “The state of scientific knowledge about SRM is also currently insufficient for it to be included as part of a climate credit system or other commercial offering, as some have started to propose. Even for stratospheric aerosol injection (the most well-understood SRM approach), the amount of cooling achieved by the injection of a given mass of material and how SAI will affect the climate system are still highly uncertain. Even with improved understanding of these effects, since SRM does not address the cause of climate change, nor all of the effects of increased greenhouse gas concentrations, it likely will never be an appropriate candidate for an open market system of credits and independent actors.”

The HighWire invited the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) attorney Catherine Ybarra to talk about ICAN’s investigation into geoengineering, military spraying, and self-spreading vaccines. ICAN obtained information that the U.S. Air Force is spraying over 20 dangerous chemicals that can cause health effects as serious as cancer, Ybarra explained.

Another ICAN legal update showed a 2021 contract between NASA and NOAA for flight operations researching “the potential injection of material into the stratosphere to combat global warming.” The update explains the government is showing interest in SAI despite the research that shows “it could lead to drought, heat waves, acid rain, food shortages, ozone layer depletion, and geopolitical conflict.”