Start-Up Plans To Cool Down Earth By Releasing Sulfur Dioxide In Atmosphere, Faces Rebuke

A start-up, which came up with a controversial idea to release sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere to cool the Earth, has paused its experiments in Mexico after a rebuke from the country's government, according to a report in CNBC. Make Sunsets planned to do this by releasing weather balloons containing particles of SO2, an aerosol, to reflect radiation from the Sun back into space. But its bid to artificially manipulate the climate, called geoengineering, was strongly criticised by several experts who say it could lead to acid rain and cause respiratory disease.

Make Sunset's website mentions that it has already launched clouds with Sulphur dioxide as initial trials. But it cancelled the plan to launch three balloons to release anywhere between 10 and 500 grams of sulfur dioxide in a Mexican state this month.

The announcement came after the government of Mexico on Friday issued a statement that it plans to "prohibit and, where appropriate, stop experimentation practices with solar geoengineering in the country", the outlet further said.

"The opposition to these climatic manipulations is based on the fact that there are currently no international agreements that address or supervise solar geoengineering activities, which represent an economically advantageous way out for a minority and risky for the supposed remediation of climate change," the Mexican government said in the statement.

Make Sunsets soon published a blog post, acknowledging it failed to take into consideration the government's "concern for national and local engagement".

"We look forward to the work of the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) to ensure the rigorous review of scientific research in this field. As such, Make Sunsets will share all information about its activities in Mexico to date (if any) with Conacyt and other responsible agencies, and will follow the strategy for scientific research being developed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). Until that strategy is defined, Make Sunsets will cease operations in Mexico (if there were any) and review our approach," the two-person company said.

Environmentalists have accused the company of trying to make profit of largely untested science. Make Sunsets is selling $10 "Cooling Credits" on its website in exchange for releasing a gram of SO2 into the stratosphere.

Meanwhile, Luke Iseman, the company's founder, doesn't want to wait. He told Time Magazine he is hopeful that he can find another country more supportive of his work. "If someone, somewhere in the world wants to launch a balloon with us, I hope they reach out. And if they are a government, I will bend over backward to be on the next plane to visit them," Mr Iseman said.