Scientists Hit Startup's Release Of Iron Sulfate Into Atmosphere

A startup claims it has launched weather balloons that may have released reflective sulfur particles in the stratosphere, potentially crossing a controversial barrier in the field of solar geoengineering, James Temple reported for the MIT Technology Review.

Photo Insert: Some observers were quick to draw parallels between Make Sunsets and a decade-old incident in which a US entrepreneur poured 100 tons of iron sulfate into the ocean in an effort to spawn a plankton bloom that could aid salmon populations and suck down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Geoengineering refers to efforts to manipulate the climate by reflecting more sunlight back into space, mimicking a natural process that occurs in the aftermath of large volcanic eruptions. In theory, spraying sulfur and similar particles could potentially ease global warming. But scientists have refrained from carrying out even small-scale experiments.

“The current state of science is not good enough … to either reject, or to accept, let alone implement” solar geoengineering, wrote Janos Pasztor, executive director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative.

“To go ahead with implementation at this stage is a very bad idea,” he added, comparing it to Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s decision to use CRISPR to edit the DNA of embryos.

Shuchi Talati, a scholar in residence at American University who is forming a nonprofit focused on governance in solar geoengineering, says Make Sunset’s actions could set back the scientific field, reducing funding, dampening government and accelerating calls to restrict studies.

The firm’s behavior plays into long-held fears that a “rogue” actor with no particular knowledge of atmospheric science could unilaterally choose to geoengineer the climate.

David Victor, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, warned of such a scenario more than a decade ago. A “Greenfinger, self-appointed protector of the planet … could force a lot of geoengineering on his own,” he said, invoking the Goldfinger character from a 1964 James Bond movie, best remembered for murdering a woman by painting her gold.

Some observers were quick to draw parallels between Make Sunsets and a decade-old incident in which a US entrepreneur poured 100 tons of iron sulfate into the ocean in an effort to spawn a plankton bloom that could aid salmon populations and suck down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Critics say it violated restrictions on iron fertilization, which were in part inspired by commercial proposals to sell carbon credits for such work. Some believe it subsequently stunted research efforts in the field.

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