Luke Iseman has a plan to cool the planet, inspired by a science fiction novel, using balloons full of heat-reflecting sulfur dioxide launched into the Earth’s stratosphere.
“To me, the question is whether doing nothing is better than doing something, given the reality we’re confronted with,” said Iseman.
Iseman and Andrew Song are co-founders of a company called Make Sunsets, a solar geoengineering startup that operates out of northern California. Its customers pay to have the company launch balloons full of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the stratosphere, where it then releases the gas.
Related on the SLP
Iseman and Song’s idea has drummed up backlash and controversy. Although Make Sunsets says it isn’t releasing a large amount of SO2, scientists worry about the possible long-term effects of releasing sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. Some say more research is needed, while others believe geoengineering shouldn’t even be an option.
