The last time I wrote about geoengineering startup company Make Sunsets, which has been experimenting with releasing sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and cool the Earth, the firm was forced to cease operations in Mexico when that government cracked down on solar geoengineering projects in 2023.
Unfortunately, Make Sunsets has continued its experimentation unabated in this country. The company continued to launch weather balloons filled with sulfur dioxide here, supposedly to release small amounts of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight and “offset” carbon emissions. As of this post, the company claims to have launched over 100 balloons for over 700 customers.
However, since then, a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator has been installed…and this one is not a fan of questionable experiments with a gas that is actually harmful to humans and the environment. In fact, sulfur dioxide emissions are explicitly restricted under a number of Clean Air Act regulations (e.g. Primary Air Quality Standards, Acid Rain Program).
The EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) has just submitted a demand for information to the start-up company. Concerns about the operation, were initially identified in 2023 during the last Administration, but no action was taken to find out more about this questionable start-up and activity.
Their website states they want to scale this activity significantly and have already conducted over 124 deployments. 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.Under Section 114 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA is authorized to require facilities to provide information about their operations.The agency is requesting a response within 30 days.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.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin minced no words in his announcement.
This company is polluting the air we breathe. I’ve instructed my team that we need to quickly get to the bottom of this and take immediate action.
I am going to conclude with a final thought from one of my favorite climate scientists.
Hopefully, Zeldin will be able to end this geoengineering insanity before another balloon is launched.
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