Geoengineer It Yourself

"What special right does Make Sunsets have to change the stratosphere?"


Great question! We think everyone should be able to Cool Earth; after all, nobody asked our permission before warming it. Here are some DIY kit options to get you started. Note that these are experimental; you can definitely find these components and put together your own launch more cheaply. In fact, we'll link to our sources on the kit pages.

A note on legality: launches in the U.S. have been deemed by NOAA to be governed by the Weather Modification Act. This is based on intent; if you release a teeny tiny balloon or cast a spell that you hope will change the weather, it is our understanding that you should be registering this project and reporting these activities to NOAA. Commercial jets, which emit ~100g SO2 per minute, are not required to register; ditto with coal-burning power plants, which emit far more. We think this is a bit silly and bet you won't get a knock on your door if you let go of some party balloons with chalk dust at your next birthday party, but we're not lawyers and are going to trust you to choose your own adventure;)

With big balloons in the U.S., file a NOTAM with the FAA and follow launch rules. Here's a good guide to how that works, and here are some really useful weather balloon tutorials. Last and maybe least: this is (~) the checklist we use for launches.

We're doing this in part to learn from you! Please let us know how your launches go, whether with our kit or on your own.

Have fun, and Cool Earth!