As climate change continues to ravage the planet, individuals are reevaluating the controversial concept of solar geoengineering. At its core, it involves the deliberate interventions in the Earth’s climate system to mitigate the effects of climate change. So, an American startup is harnessing the use of weather balloons to aid in these efforts, albeit to mixed reactions from the scientific community.
Introducing Make Sunsets: A new approach to climate intervention
Make Sunsets was established by Luke Iseman and Andrew Song and based in Box Elder, South Dakota. According to their website, the company aims to use “balloons to launch reflective clouds into the stratosphere.”
As a form of solar geoengineering, Make Sunsets has developed latex weather balloons that contain a mixture of helium and a small quantity of sulfur dioxide. These balloons are launched to an altitude of 12.4 miles above the Earth’s surface. Once released, the payload creates a layer of aerosols that has the potential to reflect sunlight away from the planet and reduce global warming.
Make Sunsets likens the process to “applying sunscreen spray to protect your skin from the Sun. Just 2.2 pounds of our clouds offsets the warming effect of 2.2 million pounds of CO₂ [carbon dioxide] for a year.”
The latex remains of the balloons are biodegradable, which means they are expected to break down over time, thus posing less risk to the environment compared to traditional plastic waste.
The science behind the balloons’ SAI technology
The specific method used by Make Sunsets is known as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). As aforementioned, SAI involves the introduction of aerosols such as sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight away from Earth and back into space.
This approach draws on historical data from volcanic eruptions, including the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The sulfur dioxide that was emitted as a byproduct of the eruption led to a temporary global cooling of about 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Utilizing SAI, Iseman and Song conducted an unauthorized experiment in April 2022, some months before Make Sunsets’ official establishment. It involved releasing two weather balloons containing the helium and sulfur dioxide mixture over Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and into the stratosphere.
Whether these balloons actually reached these heights successfully, effectively dispersed their payload, or if they made an impact on Earth’s climate remains unclear.
This solution has garnered criticism from the scientific community
In principle, the use of these weather balloons—and the broader concept of solar geoengineering—could provide a temporary solution to climate change. Nevertheless, members of the scientific community argue that it is unsafe and unethical, as it could lead to adverse effects on ecosystems and weather patterns.
“It’s very risky. It cannot be governed,” says Frank Biermann, professor of global sustainability governance at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “And it is one of the biggest dangers in the current climate policies.”
Lili Fuhr, who works for the Center for International Environmental Law, echoes this statement: “Just because we’re desperate doesn’t suddenly make solar geoengineering a good idea, because the risks are so immense.”
Even Iseman himself admits that his company should not have to resort to such measures: “I wish there was no geoengineering! But there are no other realistic options to stay below [35.6 degrees Fahrenheit].”
Although the potential of solar geoengineering remains a contentious topic, innovative approaches like Make Sunset’s balloons spark crucial conversations about climate solutions. At the very least, the move towards biodegradable materials signifies a step forward in minimizing environmental impact. By embracing careful experimentation, it could lead to breakthroughs that help reduce the effects of climate change.