Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy | Environmental Science

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head>  <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="ie=edge"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <base href="https://www.visionlearning.com"> <title>Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy | Environmental Science | Visionlearning</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211"> <meta name="description" content="This module traces the life and scientific research of Mario Molina, the first Mexican-born chemist to win the Nobel Prize. Working with F. Sherwood Roland, Molina’s groundbreaking research led to an international treaty to phase out human-made chemicals that harm Earth’s protective ozone layer. As a result, ozone-depleting substances were reduced by 98 percent. Molina has since been crusading to further scientific research in developing countries, spread scientific knowledge that will protect the environment, and advance international policy to save the Earth."> <meta name="keywords" content="Mario Molina, chemistry, atmosphere, CFCs, climate"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta name="msvalidate.01" content="D8E20F39AD48052260032E56DE409970"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "http://schema.org/", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://visionlearning.com/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211" }, "name": "Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy", "headline": "Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy: The work of Mario Molina", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bonnie Denmark, M.A./M.S." }, "datePublished": "2015-02-18 05:17:31", "dateModified": "2017-02-12T08:30:00+05:00", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/img/library/moduleImages/featured_image_211-23061210064157.jpeg", "width": 696, "height": 464 }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Visionlearning, Inc.", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "http://visionlearning.com/images/logo.png", "width": 278, "height": 60 } }, "description": "This module traces the life and scientific research of Mario Molina, the first Mexican-born chemist to win the Nobel Prize. Working with F. Sherwood Roland, Molina’s groundbreaking research led to an international treaty to phase out human-made chemicals that harm Earth’s protective ozone layer. As a result, ozone-depleting substances were reduced by 98 percent. Molina has since been crusading to further scientific research in developing countries, spread scientific knowledge that will protect the environment, and advance international policy to save the Earth.", "keywords": "Mario Molina, chemistry, atmosphere, CFCs, climate", "inLanguage": { "@type": "Language", "name": "English", "alternateName": "en" }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Visionlearning, Inc." }, "copyrightYear": "2015"} </script> <meta property="og:url" content="https://visionlearning.com/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211"> <meta property="og:title" content="Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy | Environmental Science | Visionlearning" /> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Visionlearning"> <meta property="og:description" content="This module traces the life and scientific research of Mario Molina, the first Mexican-born chemist to win the Nobel Prize. Working with F. Sherwood Roland, Molina’s groundbreaking research led to an international treaty to phase out human-made chemicals that harm Earth’s protective ozone layer. As a result, ozone-depleting substances were reduced by 98 percent. Molina has since been crusading to further scientific research in developing countries, spread scientific knowledge that will protect the environment, and advance international policy to save the Earth."> <meta property="og:image" content="https://visionlearning.com/images/logo.png"> <meta property="fb:admins" content="100000299664514"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/visionlearning.css">  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/visionlearning-icons.css">  <link rel="preload" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com"> <link rel="preload" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Open+Sans:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400;1,700&family=Schoolbell&display=swap"> <style> textarea.myEditor { width: 90%; height: 350px; } </style> <script type="text/x-mathjax-config" src="/js/mathjax-config.js"></script> <script id="MathJax-script" async src="/js/mathjax/tex-svg.js"></script> <script async 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class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/earth-science/6/extinction/295">Extinction</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/earth-science/6/mass-extinctions/294">Mass Extinctions</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-environmental-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-environmental-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Environmental Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-environmental-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-environmental-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-ecology" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-ecology" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Ecology </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-ecology" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-ecology" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-i/276">Biodiversity I</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-ii/281">Biodiversity II</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/ecosystem-services/279">Ecosystem Services</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/population-biology/287">Population Biology</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-earth-cycles" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-earth-cycles" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Earth Cycles </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-earth-cycles" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-earth-cycles" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-nitrogen-cycle/98">The Nitrogen Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-carbon-cycle/95">The Carbon Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-phosphorus-cycle/197">The Phosphorus Cycle</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li class="current">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-general-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-general-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> General Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-general-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-general-science" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-methods" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-methods" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Methods </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-methods" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-methods" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/the-scientific-method/45">The Scientific Method</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-measurement" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-measurement" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Measurement </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-measurement" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-measurement" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/the-metric-system/47">The Metric System</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-physical-properties" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-physical-properties" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Physical Properties </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-physical-properties" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-physical-properties" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/temperature/48">Temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/general-science/3/density-and-buoyancy/37">Density and Buoyancy</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> 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href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/exponential-equations-i/206">Exponential Equations I</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/exponential-equations-ii/210">Exponential Equations II</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/scientific-notation/250">Scientific Notation</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/measurement/257">Measurement</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-statistics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-statistics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Statistics </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-statistics" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-statistics" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/introduction-to-descriptive-statistics/218">Introduction to Descriptive Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/introduction-to-inferential-statistics/224">Introduction to Inferential Statistics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/statistical-techniques/239">Statistical Techniques</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-trigonometric-functions" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-trigonometric-functions" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Trigonometric Functions </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-trigonometric-functions" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-trigonometric-functions" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/math-in-science/62/wave-mathematics/131">Wave Mathematics</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-physics" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-physics" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Physics 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class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-introduction" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-introduction" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Introduction </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-introduction" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-introduction" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-process-of-science/176">The Process of Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-the-culture-of-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-the-culture-of-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> The Culture of Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-the-culture-of-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-the-culture-of-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-nature-of-scientific-knowledge/185">The Nature of Scientific Knowledge</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientists-and-the-scientific-community/172">Scientists and the Scientific Community</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-ethics/161">Scientific Ethics</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-institutions-and-societies/162">Scientific Institutions and Societies</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-ideas-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-ideas-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Ideas in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-ideas-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-ideas-in-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/theories-hypotheses-and-laws/177">Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/scientific-controversy/181">Scientific Controversy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/creativity-in-science/182">Creativity in Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-research-methods" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-research-methods" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Research Methods </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-research-methods" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-research-methods" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-practice-of-science/148">The Practice of Science</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/experimentation-in-scientific-research/150">Experimentation in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/description-in-scientific-research/151">Description in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/comparison-in-scientific-research/152">Comparison in Scientific Research</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/modeling-in-scientific-research/153">Modeling in Scientific Research</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-data" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-data" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Data </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-data" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-data" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/data-analysis-and-interpretation/154">Data Analysis and Interpretation</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/uncertainty-error-and-confidence/157">Uncertainty, Error, and Confidence</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/statistics-in-science/155">Statistics in Science</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/using-graphs-and-visual-data-in-science/156">Using Graphs and Visual Data in Science</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-communication" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-communication" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Communication </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-communication" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-communication" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/understanding-scientific-journals-and-articles/158">Understanding Scientific Journals and Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/utilizing-the-scientific-literature/173">Utilizing the Scientific Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/peer-review-in-scientific-publishing/159">Peer Review in Scientific Publishing</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/process-of-science/49/the-how-and-why-of-scientific-meetings/186">The How and Why of Scientific Meetings</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientists-and-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientists-and-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientists and Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientists-and-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientists-and-research" role="region"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/from-stable-chromosomes-to-jumping-genes/184">From Stable Chromosomes to Jumping Genes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/an-elegant-experiment-to-test-the-process-of-dna-replication/187">An Elegant Experiment to Test the Process of DNA Replication</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/the-founding-of-neuroscience/233">The Founding of Neuroscience</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/tracking-endangered-jaguars-across-the-border/189">Tracking Endangered Jaguars across the Border</a></li> <li class="current">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/revolutionizing-medicine-with-monoclonal-antibodies/220">Revolutionizing Medicine with Monoclonal Antibodies</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/uncovering-the-mysteries-of-chronic-mountain-sickness/238">Uncovering the Mysteries of Chronic Mountain Sickness</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-profiles-in-science" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Profiles in Science </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-profiles-in-science" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-profiles-in-science" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-e.-miramontes/232">Luis E. Miramontes</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/bernardo-houssay/237">Bernardo Houssay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/craig-lee/256">Craig Lee</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/david-ho/241">David Ho</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/louis-tompkins-wright/244">Louis Tompkins Wright</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/carlos-j.-finlay/217">Carlos J. Finlay</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/cecilia-payne/290">Cecilia Payne</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/jazmin-scarlett/291">Jazmin Scarlett</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ramari-stewart/292">Ramari Stewart</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/johnson-cerda/300">Johnson Cerda</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ellen-ochoa/201">Ellen Ochoa</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/ruth-benerito/205">Ruth Benerito</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/franklin-chang-díaz/219">Franklin Chang Díaz</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/percy-lavon-julian/221">Percy Lavon Julian</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/luis-walter-alvarez/229">Luis Walter Alvarez</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/scientists-and-research/58/france-anne-dominic-córdova/230">France Anne-Dominic Córdova</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li>  <button class="button" data-toggle="dropdown">Environmental Science </button> <div class="nav__dropdown box-shadow-1 padding-1"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary font-size-sm"> <div class="accordion accordion--secondary"> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-sub-button-ecology" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-sub-panel-ecology" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Ecology </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-sub-panel-ecology" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-sub-button-ecology" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-i/276">Biodiversity I</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/biodiversity-ii/281">Biodiversity II</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/ecosystem-services/279">Ecosystem Services</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/population-biology/287">Population Biology</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-sub-button-earth-cycles" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-sub-panel-earth-cycles" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Earth Cycles </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-sub-panel-earth-cycles" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-sub-button-earth-cycles" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-nitrogen-cycle/98">The Nitrogen Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-carbon-cycle/95">The Carbon Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/the-phosphorus-cycle/197">The Phosphorus Cycle</a></li> </ul> </div> <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-sub-button-scientific-research" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-sub-panel-scientific-research" aria-expanded="false"> <span class="accordion__button__label"> Scientific Research </span> </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-sub-panel-scientific-research" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-sub-button-scientific-research" role="region"> <ul class="nav text-color-link"> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/collaborative-research-in-the-arctic-towards-understanding-climate-change/183">Collaborative Research in the Arctic Towards Understanding Climate Change</a></li> <li class="current">Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </nav>  <div id="theTop"></div> <main id="skip-header-content"> <div class="margin-bottom-5"> <article class="container wide module"> <header class="grid grid--sidebar-right module__header"> <div class="module__header__title"> <span class="subcategory"> <strong><em>Scientific Research</em></strong> </span> <h1>Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy: <sub><em>The work of Mario Molina</em></sub></h1> <p class="byline">by Bonnie Denmark, M.A./M.S.</p> <nav class="module__header__tabs"> <ul class="tabs-nav tabs-nav--horizontal library"> <li> <a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211/reading" aria-current="page" >Reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211/quiz">Quiz</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211/resources">Teach with this</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </header> <hr class="divider"/>   <div class="grid grid--sidebar-right grid--divider"> <div class="order-2 order-1--lg module__main"> <div class="narrow margin-x-auto margin-y-5"> <div class="accordion margin-bottom-5">  <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-key-concepts" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-key-concepts" aria-expanded="true" tabindex="0"> Did you know? </button> <div class="accordion__panel shown show" id="acc-panel-key-concepts" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-key-concepts" role="region"> <div class="accordion__panel__content"> <p>Did you know that the now-banned CFC chemical compounds were once thought to be an environmentally-friendly alternative to refrigerants on the market at the time? It was only after CFCs appeared in billions of household products that chemists Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland figured out they were eating away at Earth’s protective ozone layer, leading to an increase in skin cancer and other ill health effects.</p> </div> </div>  <button class="accordion__button" id="acc-button-terms-you-should-know" data-accordion="button" aria-controls="acc-panel-terms-you-should-know" aria-expanded="false" tabindex="0"> Terms you should know </button> <div class="accordion__panel" id="acc-panel-terms-you-should-know" data-accordion="panel" aria-labelledby="acc-button-terms-you-should-know" role="region" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="accordion__panel__content"> <dl> <dt>depletion </dt> <dd> reduction, lessening, decrease in supply, using up </dd> <dt><a href="/en/glossary/view/inert">inert </a></dt> <dd> not having the ability to react with other chemicals </dd> <dt>policy </dt> <dd> an established set of guidelines; an enforced set of rules</dd> </dl> </div> </div> </div> <hr class="border-color-dark" /> <section> <div class="container narrow"> <p>More than 300,000 individuals flooded the streets of New York City on September 21, 2014, in the People’s Climate March as hundreds of thousands more took part in similar events around the world. The spectacle included Hollywood stars, politicians, environmentalists, health professionals, religious groups, survivors of Super Storm Sandy, and Native Americans in traditional headdresses. On foot or on floats powered by biodiesel fuel, some were singing or chanting, others were beating drums or blowing shofars. Mother Earth appeared in many forms, sometimes with a black eye and sometimes along with the slogan “Love your Mother.” Placards read “Save our snowmen” and “We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrowed it from our grandchildren." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined the march wearing an “I’m for <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> action" T-shirt. </p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_7650.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7650-150107030101.jpg" alt="Figure 1: Demonstrators participating in the People's Climate March." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 1</strong>: Demonstrators participating in the People's Climate March.</p> <span class="credit">image ©South Bend Voice</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>The demonstration was a rallying cry urging world leaders to act on <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change. It came three days after the US National Climatic Data Center reported the warmest August on <mark class="term" data-term="record" data-term-def="A written account or description. <br> <b>[verb]</b> To write an account or description." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/record/8239">record</mark> (NOAA, 2014) and just days ahead of the UN Climate Summit aimed at bringing world leaders together to work toward a legally-binding global climate agreement.</p><p>One scientist who has made a life’s work of crusading for global policy to protect the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> is atmospheric chemist Jose Mario Molina-Pasquel y Henríquez, though informally he uses Mario Molina, the first Mexican-born scientist to win the <mark class="term" data-term="Nobel Prize" data-term-def="Awards made annually, beginning in 1901, from funds originally established by Alfred B. Nobel for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/Nobel+Prize/3843">Nobel Prize</mark> in Chemistry. Molina knows more than anyone that when people come together to work toward a common goal, great strides can be made. Before he embarked on his personal mission on behalf of <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change awareness and policy, his groundbreaking <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> on the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer led to an international treaty to ban human-made chemicals that were destroying Earth’s protective shield.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_7722.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7722-150218040249.jpg" alt="Figure 2: Dr. Molina discussing his work at the 2012 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 2</strong>: Dr. Molina discussing his work at the 2012 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Centro Mario Molina</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p><section id="toc_1" class=""> <h2>Science for the good of society</h2></p> <p>Molina’s interest in science began when he was a child, first reading biographies of famous scientists and later progressing to the thrill of observing amoebas and paramecia with his own toy microscope. As he became more sophisticated, he converted a little-used bathroom into a laboratory, where with guidance from his chemist aunt, Esther Molina, he was able to do college-level <mark class="term" data-term="experiment" data-term-def="A test or trial carried out under controlled conditions so that specific actions can be performed and the results can be observed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/experiment/8292">experiments</mark> when he was just 11 (Nobel Prize Organization, 2011).</p><p>After high school and college in Mexico and graduate studies in Germany and France, Molina entered a PhD program at University of California Berkeley. Molina recalls his years at Berkeley as some of the best in his life. The <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> was exciting, and the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> was intellectually stimulating. In the 1960s and 1970s, Berkeley was a major seat of unrest over the Vietnam War and a center for radical ideas. Molina’s research project, which involved chemical lasers, did not sit well with student activists. The socio-political <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> at Berkeley caused Molina to think hard about the impact of science on <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">society</mark> for the first time. In an autobiographical essay for the Nobel Foundation, he reveals:</p><blockquote class="blockquote"> <p>I was dismayed by the fact that high-power chemical lasers were being developed elsewhere as weapons; I wanted to be involved with research that was useful to society, but not for potentially harmful purposes. (Molina, 2007) </p> </p></blockquote><p>After graduating from UC Berkeley, Molina was able to pursue a project that did not conflict with his evolving ideology when he became a postdoctoral student at UC Irvine. His advisor, F. Sherwood “Sherry” Rowland, was interested in exploring a new direction as well. Of the possible projects that Rowland suggested, one in particular piqued Molina’s interest. Rowland thought it might be worth looking more closely at <mark class="term" data-term="chlorofluorocarbons" data-term-def="Compounds consisting of carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen once used widely as aerosol propellants and refrigerants. lso known as CFCs.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/chlorofluorocarbons/3842">chlorofluorocarbons</mark>, or <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark>, which were released into the <mark class="term" data-term="atmosphere" data-term-def="The collective mass of gases that surrounds the Earth or another planet." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atmosphere/8529">atmosphere</mark> from a vast array of consumer products. These chemical <mark class="term" data-term="compound" data-term-def="A material formed by the chemical combination of elements in defined proportions. Compounds can be chemically decomposed into simpler substances." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/compound/1517">compounds</mark> are <mark class="term" data-term="inert" data-term-def="Deficient in active properties; especially, lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/inert/2172">inert</mark> in the lower atmosphere; that is, they do not react with other chemicals. Embraced for their safety and stability, CFCs were used in products from coolants to Styrofoam to aerosol sprays. Molina was immediately drawn to the project, seeing the practical implications.</p><p>Together, Molina and Rowland embarked on a voyage of discovery to answer the question: “What happens when <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">society</mark> releases <mark class="term" data-term="inert" data-term-def="Deficient in active properties; especially, lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/inert/2172">inert</mark> gases to the atmosphere?” Within three months, they realized that this was not just a scientific question but a potentially serious environmental problem concerning substantial depletion of the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer. What they discovered, in Rowland’s words, was that “[e]ntire biological <mark class="term" data-term="system" data-term-def="A group of interacting, interrelated or interdependent components that form a complex whole. The size of the system is defined for&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/system/3904">systems</mark>, including humans, would be at danger from ultra-violet rays” (Wilson, 2012). </p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_8000.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-8000-150514040510.jpg" alt="Figure 3: Rowland (l) and Molina (r) in Rowland’s lab at UC Irvine in the mid-1970s. The photograph is from the F. Sherwood Rowland Papers at the UC Irvine Archives." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 3</strong>: Rowland (l) and Molina (r) in Rowland’s lab at UC Irvine in the mid-1970s. The photograph is from the F. Sherwood Rowland Papers at the UC Irvine Archives.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Regents of the University of California</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Molina continued his <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> while Rowland was in Vienna on spring sabbatical. In a frenzied back-and-forth of phone calls and letters, the two refined their <mark class="term" data-term="theory" data-term-def="A scientific theory is an explanation inferred from multiple lines of evidence for some broad aspect of the natural world and&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/theory/4854">theory</mark> of <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> depletion. In the early months after making the CFC-Ozone connection, Rowland’s wife reportedly asked how the research was going. Rowland answered, “It’s going very well. It just means, I think, the end of the world” (Jones, 1988). </p> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc11208"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">After considering the impact of science on society, Molina shifted his focus to</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-11208-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-11208" type="radio" value="chemical lasers." > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> chemical lasers. </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11208-0"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-11208-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-11208" type="radio" value="chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)." > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11208-1"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_2"> <h2>CFCs: Miracle compounds</h2><p>CFCs had become extremely popular long before Molina and Rowland chose to focus on these chemicals; in fact, they were a fixture among consumer products even before Mario Molina was born. In 1935, the DuPont chemical company adopted the slogan “Better things for better living… through chemistry,” and nothing seemed more genuine than the promise of those words. Four years earlier the company had discovered <mark class="term" data-term="chlorofluorocarbons" data-term-def="Compounds consisting of carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen once used widely as aerosol propellants and refrigerants. lso known as CFCs.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/chlorofluorocarbons/3842">chlorofluorocarbons</mark>, or <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> for short, and launched them under the trade name Freon. These miracle <mark class="term" data-term="compound" data-term-def="A material formed by the chemical combination of elements in defined proportions. Compounds can be chemically decomposed into simpler substances." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/compound/1517">compounds</mark> promised to be a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to the refrigerants used at the time, which had a bad track <mark class="term" data-term="record" data-term-def="A written account or description. <br> <b>[verb]</b> To write an account or description." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/record/8239">record</mark> of being flammable, corrosive, and toxic – even fatal – to humans.</p><p>By 1938, Freon had captured 15 percent of the refrigerant market, and was steadily growing. Then DuPont found that Freon was an ideal propellant, and by 1968 annual sales of CFC-powered aerosol cans reached a staggering 2.3 billion (Fisher, 1990). The commercial success and potential new applications for <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> seemed unstoppable. That is, until Molina and Rowland claimed in a 1974 <em>Nature</em> article that these seemingly benign products that had swept the globe would eat away at Earth’s protective <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer, exposing humans and other living things to potential harm from <mark class="term" data-term="radiation" data-term-def="Energy emitted as particles, waves, or rays." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/radiation/8266">radiation</mark> (Molina & Rowland, 1974).</p><p>Molina considered how <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> would not be removed from the <mark class="term" data-term="atmosphere" data-term-def="The collective mass of gases that surrounds the Earth or another planet." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atmosphere/8529">atmosphere</mark> by natural <mark class="term" data-term="reaction" data-term-def="A chemical change when substances come into contact with each other." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/reaction/8263">reactions</mark> because they were <mark class="term" data-term="inert" data-term-def="Deficient in active properties; especially, lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/inert/2172">inert</mark> but rather over several decades would continue to migrate upwards through <mark class="term" data-term="diffusion" data-term-def="The movement of atoms or molecules from one part of a medium to another caused by their random thermal motion.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/diffusion/2690">diffusion</mark> until they eventually reached the <mark class="term" data-term="stratosphere" data-term-def="The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, where temperature increases with altitude because of the presence of the ozone layer.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/stratosphere/2383">stratosphere</mark>. The stratosphere is the layer of Earth’s atmosphere that begins about 8 to 16 km (5 to 10 miles) above the planet’s <mark class="term" data-term="surface" data-term-def="The outside or external part; the topside face of something." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/surface/8275">surface</mark>. In the lower stratosphere sits the <em>ozone layer</em>, a belt of concentrated <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="gas" data-term-def="The state of matter characterized by its non-condensed nature and ability to flow. Unlike liquids, molecules within a gas remain far&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/gas/8725">gas</mark> (O<sub>3</sub>) that <mark class="term" data-term="absorb" data-term-def="Take in or soak up (energy, liquids, or other substances), usually gradually, through a chemical or physical action." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/absorb/11219">absorbs</mark> much of the sun’s dangerous <mark class="term" data-term="ultraviolet" data-term-def="Wavelengths between 1 and 380 nanometers (nm) on the electromagnetic spectrum, falling between X-rays (10<sup>-2</sup> nm to 1 nm) and visible&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ultraviolet/8233">ultraviolet</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="radiation" data-term-def="Energy emitted as particles, waves, or rays." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/radiation/8266">radiation</mark> (Figure 4). The thinner the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone layer" data-term-def="A layer of higher than average concentrations of ozone within the stratosphere. Within the ozone layer, concentration are still in the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone+layer/2385">ozone layer</mark>, the more ultraviolet B (UVB) rays reach the Earth’s surface, leading to skin cancer, cataracts, and weakened immune response in humans, as well as damage to marine <mark class="term" data-term="ecosystem" data-term-def="The complex of a community of organisms and its environment, functioning as a unit." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ecosystem/2174">ecosystems</mark>, plants, and certain materials (EPA, 2010).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox=""> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7664-150107030129.jpg" alt="Figure 4: The thin layer of ozone gas serves as a shield from ultraviolet light." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 4</strong>: The thin layer of ozone gas serves as a shield from ultraviolet light.</p> <span class="credit">image ©NASA</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>Since no natural processes would remove <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> from the <mark class="term" data-term="atmosphere" data-term-def="The collective mass of gases that surrounds the Earth or another planet." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atmosphere/8529">atmosphere</mark>, Molina proceeded with knowledge of how <mark class="term" data-term="diffusion" data-term-def="The movement of atoms or molecules from one part of a medium to another caused by their random thermal motion.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/diffusion/2690">diffusion</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="work" data-term-def="A process that occurs when a force acts over a distance, as when an object is moved. Work equals the multiple&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/work/1502">works</mark>. Examining the weight of CFC <mark class="term" data-term="molecule" data-term-def="A particle formed by the chemical bonding of two or more atoms. The molecule is the smallest particle of a&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/molecule/1518">molecules</mark> when compared with other <mark class="term" data-term="compound" data-term-def="A material formed by the chemical combination of elements in defined proportions. Compounds can be chemically decomposed into simpler substances." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/compound/1517">compounds</mark> in Earth’s atmosphere, Molina estimated how long it would take CFCs to reach the <mark class="term" data-term="stratosphere" data-term-def="The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, where temperature increases with altitude because of the presence of the ozone layer.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/stratosphere/2383">stratosphere</mark> given their estimated lifespan of 40-150 years. He and Rowland posited that once CFC molecules reached the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer, <mark class="term" data-term="ultraviolet" data-term-def="Wavelengths between 1 and 380 nanometers (nm) on the electromagnetic spectrum, falling between X-rays (10<sup>-2</sup> nm to 1 nm) and visible&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ultraviolet/8233">ultraviolet</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="radiation" data-term-def="Energy emitted as particles, waves, or rays." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/radiation/8266">radiation</mark> would break apart the molecules, freeing chlorine <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark>. These free chlorine atoms up in the stratosphere were not <mark class="term" data-term="inert" data-term-def="Deficient in active properties; especially, lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/inert/2172">inert</mark>, however – they <em>would</em> react with ozone molecules with destructive effects (Molina & Rowland, 1974).</p><p>Molina calculated the <mark class="term" data-term="chemical reaction" data-term-def="A process in which atoms and molecules recombine by forming or breaking chemical bonds. Chemical reactions form new products that&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/chemical+reaction/1547">chemical reactions</mark> that would occur once the <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFC</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="molecule" data-term-def="A particle formed by the chemical bonding of two or more atoms. The molecule is the smallest particle of a&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/molecule/1518">molecules</mark> were dissociated by <mark class="term" data-term="ultraviolet" data-term-def="Wavelengths between 1 and 380 nanometers (nm) on the electromagnetic spectrum, falling between X-rays (10<sup>-2</sup> nm to 1 nm) and visible&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ultraviolet/8233">ultraviolet</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="radiation" data-term-def="Energy emitted as particles, waves, or rays." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/radiation/8266">radiation</mark>. In chemistry, the term <em>dissociate</em> means to break down a molecule into <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark> or simpler molecules, freeing them to recombine in new ways. Molina looked more closely at what the chlorine (Cl) atoms would do once they were liberated from the CFC molecule. He discovered a potentially disastrous impact on the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer.</p> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc11209"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">When CFCs became part of consumer products, they were</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-11209-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-11209" type="radio" value="thought to be safe and environmentally friendly." > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> thought to be safe and environmentally friendly. </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11209-0"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-11209-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-11209" type="radio" value="suspected of being flammable and toxic." > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> suspected of being flammable and toxic. </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11209-1"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_3"> <h2>Sobering calculations</h2><p>How might the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer be affected by the <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> once they were broken apart in the stratosphere? Molina’s <mark class="term" data-term="model" data-term-def="A representation, pattern, or mathematical description that can help scientists replicate a system." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/model/8236">model</mark> predicted that the chlorine <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark> (Cl) that broke free from the <mark class="term" data-term="chlorofluorocarbons" data-term-def="Compounds consisting of carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen once used widely as aerosol propellants and refrigerants. lso known as CFCs.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/chlorofluorocarbons/3842">chlorofluorocarbons</mark> would react with ozone <mark class="term" data-term="molecule" data-term-def="A particle formed by the chemical bonding of two or more atoms. The molecule is the smallest particle of a&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/molecule/1518">molecules</mark> (O<sub>3</sub>), forming a chlorine-oxygen <mark class="term" data-term="compound" data-term-def="A material formed by the chemical combination of elements in defined proportions. Compounds can be chemically decomposed into simpler substances." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/compound/1517">compound</mark> (ClO) and molecular oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>):</p><div class="figure"><figure> $$O_3 + Cl \rightarrow CIO + O_2$$ </figure></div><p>Molecular oxygen also breaks down in the <mark class="term" data-term="stratosphere" data-term-def="The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, where temperature increases with altitude because of the presence of the ozone layer.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/stratosphere/2383">stratosphere</mark>, producing solitary oxygen <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark> (O):</p><div class="figure"><figure> $$O_2 \rightarrow O + O$$ </figure></div><p>Although Cl reacts to form ClO, single chlorine <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark> (Cl) are also produced when ClO reacts with the oxygen atoms that are formed when molecular oxygen is dissociated (see the <mark class="term" data-term="reaction" data-term-def="A chemical change when substances come into contact with each other." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/reaction/8263">reaction</mark> above). Thus:</p><div class="figure"><figure> $$ClO + O \rightarrow Cl + O_2$$ </figure></div><p>In other words, chlorine <mark class="term" data-term="atom" data-term-def="The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of the element. Atoms can exist alone or in&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/atom/1509">atoms</mark> react to break apart <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="molecule" data-term-def="A particle formed by the chemical bonding of two or more atoms. The molecule is the smallest particle of a&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/molecule/1518">molecules</mark>, but they are still around after ozone has been broken down so they can destroy more ozone. This means that chlorine serves as a <mark class="term" data-term="catalyst" data-term-def="A substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction but that is not used up in the process." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/catalyst/8234">catalyst</mark> for the <mark class="term" data-term="reaction" data-term-def="A chemical change when substances come into contact with each other." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/reaction/8263">reaction</mark> of ozone with atomic oxygen: It produces O<sub>2</sub> while the chlorine itself is not affected. Thus, chlorine atoms can cause extensive damage to the ozone shield over the long term. In fact, each single chlorine atom that breaks free can destroy more than 100,000 molecules of ozone (Fisher, 1990). </p><p>Rather than designing a lab <mark class="term" data-term="experiment" data-term-def="A test or trial carried out under controlled conditions so that specific actions can be performed and the results can be observed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/experiment/8292">experiment</mark> to explore their <mark class="term" data-term="hypothesis" data-term-def="From the Greek word <em>hypothesis</em> meaning assumption or the basis of an argument, a hypothesis is a proposal intended to explain&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/hypothesis/3727">hypothesis</mark>, Molina and Rowland used their knowledge of chemistry to build a <mark class="term" data-term="model" data-term-def="A representation, pattern, or mathematical description that can help scientists replicate a system." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/model/8236">model</mark> to predict what could – and did – happen. This is an example of prescriptive modeling, a <mark class="term" data-term="method" data-term-def="A procedure or process; a systematic way of performing a task or conducting research." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/method/8238">method</mark> commonly used by scientists. In prescriptive modeling, scientists take the information they already have about the way the <mark class="term" data-term="universe" data-term-def="The cosmos and everything that exists in it." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/universe/5288">universe</mark> works to make predictions about what can occur if x and y happen. </p> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc11210"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">Free _____ atoms break down ozone molecules.</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-11210-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-11210" type="radio" value="chlorine" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> chlorine </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11210-0"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-11210-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-11210" type="radio" value="oxygen" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> oxygen </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11210-1"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_4"> <h2>A journal article that would change the world</h2><p>Molina and Rowland published their findings in a three-page article titled “Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: Chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone” in the June 1974 issue of Nature. They pointed out that there were enough <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> around to decrease the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> <mark class="term" data-term="concentration" data-term-def="The amount of one substance in relation to other components within a given area." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/concentration/8733">concentration</mark> in the protective layer by several percent, a significant decline (Molina & Rowland, 1974). To put the number in perspective, Harvard researchers report that for each fractional decrease in the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone layer" data-term-def="A layer of higher than average concentrations of ozone within the stratosphere. Within the ozone layer, concentration are still in the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone+layer/2385">ozone layer</mark>, the incidence of skin cancer increases threefold (Harvard University, 2012).</p><p>Three months later, other scientists corroborated Molina and Rowland’s findings in print. In a September 1974 article in Science, University of Michigan researchers claimed that <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> would be displaced downward as early as 1985 (Cicerone, Stolarski, & Walters, 1974). That same week, the New York Times ran a front-page story on <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> by Harvard scientists Michael B. McElroy and Steven C. Wofsy, who also arrived at calculations that supported Molina and Rowland’s claims and argued that <mark class="term" data-term="ozone layer" data-term-def="A layer of higher than average concentrations of ozone within the stratosphere. Within the ozone layer, concentration are still in the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone+layer/2385">ozone layer</mark> reduction could be as large as 3 percent by 1980 and 16 percent by 2000 (Sullivan, 1974). </p><p>For Molina and Rowland, it was not sufficient to keep their findings within the scientific community. Given the seriousness of the issue, they realized that the only chance of the problem being addressed was to share their results with the media and policymakers. They talked to journalists, published more articles on the issue, presented at <mark class="term" data-term="conference" data-term-def="A large, formal meeting where many people gather for a particular purpose, such as to talk about research in a certain&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/conference/8248">conferences</mark>, and testified at legislative hearings (Molina, 2007). </p><p>There was severe backlash from industry. Even the scientific community was skeptical. Molina and Rowland had essentially created a new discipline – atmospheric chemistry – and their calculations were not yet borne out through <mark class="term" data-term="observation" data-term-def="1. The act of noticing something. 2. A record of that which has been noticed." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/observation/8255">observation</mark>. Since it takes decades for <mark class="term" data-term="CFC" data-term-def="See <a href="http://www.visionlearning.com/en/glossary/index/C#term-3842">chlorofluorocarbons</a>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/CFC/5503">CFCs</mark> to migrate upwards to the <mark class="term" data-term="stratosphere" data-term-def="The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, where temperature increases with altitude because of the presence of the ozone layer.&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/stratosphere/2383">stratosphere</mark>, Molina and Rowland were talking about damage that would happen in the future. Rowland noted a definite distancing by the scientific community, evidenced by an absence of speaking invitations for the entire decade after the Nature article was published. But the snub didn’t bother him because he knew they were right (Barringer, 2012).</p><p>Hard <mark class="term" data-term="evidence" data-term-def="Support for an idea, opinion, or hypothesis." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/evidence/8243">evidence</mark> finally arrived in the 1980s – 11 years later – when British scientists confirmed an extreme thinning of the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer over the South Pole that appeared in the Antarctic Spring (around October). The “ozone hole” began appearing every year, measuring a 20 percent depletion in 1982 and a 30 percent depletion in 1983. (Figure 5 shows changes in the ozone hole over 21 years). Molina admits, “We really sort of stumbled onto a problem of global proportions” (Wilson, 2012).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_7682.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7682-150107060159.jpg" alt="Figure 5: Series of NASA images of the ozone hole from 1979 to 2010." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 5</strong>: Series of NASA images of the ozone hole from 1979 to 2010.</p> <span class="credit">image ©NASA</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="comprehension-checkpoint margin-y-4"> <h6 class="comprehension-checkpoint__header"> <span> <span class="icon icon-question"></span> </span> Comprehension Checkpoint </h6> <form class="" name="cc11211"> <div class="form-entry"> <div class="form-entry__field"> <span class="form-entry__field__label">The idea developed by Molina and Rowland was _____ by the scientific community.</span> <div class="form-entry__option"> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="incorrect"> <label> <input id="q1-11211-0-option-a" name="quiz-option-11211" type="radio" value="immediately accepted" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">a.</span> immediately accepted </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11211-0"> <strong>Incorrect.</strong> </span> </div> <div class="form-entry__option__radio" data-answer="correct"> <label> <input id="q1-11211-1-option-b" name="quiz-option-11211" type="radio" value="not immediately embraced" > <span class="option__label"> <span class="screen-reader-only">b.</span> not immediately embraced </span> </label> <span class="quiz__response" id="response-11211-1"> <strong>Correct!</strong> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </form> </div> </section> <section id="toc_5"> <h2>The Montreal Protocol: A global response to environmental crisis</h2><p>The international community responded by enacting the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1989. This agreement called for a step-by-step phase-out of human-produced chemicals that harm the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer. After several amendments over the years, in 2010 the Montreal Protocol became the first international treaty to be signed by all 196 United Nations members. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan described the Montreal Protocol as “Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date” (United Nations, 2014).</p><p>Thanks in large part to Molina and Rowland’s ground-breaking work which led to international cooperation, the Montreal Protocol has succeeded in reducing ozone-depleting substances by 98 percent. This reduction helps to avert millions of cases of skin cancer and tens of millions of cases of cataracts, along with damage to crops and marine life. True to Molina and Rowland’s predictions, the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer thinned out during the 1980s and early 1990s before stabilizing around the turn of the millennium. And in September 2014, more than 25 years after the Protocol was first enacted, a group of 300 scientists, including Molina, determined that the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone layer" data-term-def="A layer of higher than average concentrations of ozone within the stratosphere. Within the ozone layer, concentration are still in the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone+layer/2385">ozone layer</mark> is finally making a comeback for the first time since 1980 and is on target for recovery by the middle of this century (UNEP, 2014).</p></section> <section id="toc_6"> <h2>Science without borders</h2><p>Molina and Rowland’s pioneering work earned them the 1995 <mark class="term" data-term="Nobel Prize" data-term-def="Awards made annually, beginning in 1901, from funds originally established by Alfred B. Nobel for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/Nobel+Prize/3843">Nobel Prize</mark> in Chemistry, which they shared with another atmospheric chemist, Paul J. Crutzen. Molina feels a responsibility to use his position as a Nobel Prize winner to make sure that scientific findings have an impact on <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">society</mark> and affect public policy. “People listen to you more,” he says, “but you have to use that very wisely” (Nobel Prize Organization, 2011). </p><p>Living and working in the United States has allowed Molina to have the greatest impact on <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">society</mark>, so he became a naturalized US citizen. This permitted him to work in US national labs, have more access to resources, and have greater influence on international policy (UNAM, 1995). Indeed, he currently serves on the US President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and in 2013 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama (Figure 6). Molina’s work, however, addresses problems that have no borders. Seeing the urgency of increasing scientific knowledge in developing countries, he donated most of his <mark class="term" data-term="Nobel Prize" data-term-def="Awards made annually, beginning in 1901, from funds originally established by Alfred B. Nobel for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/Nobel+Prize/3843">Nobel Prize</mark> money to scientists and science educators working in these parts of the world. “Science is a great means of unification for the peoples of the world,” he said in a 1995 interview (UNAM).</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_7689.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7689-150107070111.jpg" alt="Figure 6: Mario Molina receives the 2013 Presidential Medal Of Freedom from Barack Obama." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 6</strong>: Mario Molina receives the 2013 Presidential Medal Of Freedom from Barack Obama.</p> <span class="credit">image ©Whitehouse.gov</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>But Molina hasn’t forgotten his Mexican roots and hopes that his prize spurs scientific <mark class="term" data-term="research" data-term-def="A study or an investigation." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/research/8257">research</mark> in Mexico. In 2005, he established the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies in Energy and the Environment in Mexico City to tackle complex environmental issues. As <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> policy advisor to Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, Molina was instrumental in pushing through an “ambitious” climate change <mark class="term" data-term="law" data-term-def="In science, a principle that describes a phenomenon, often mathematically." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/law/8686">law</mark> in 2012. He celebrates the improvement in air quality in his native Mexico City, which was formerly known as the most polluted city in the world (Nobel Prize Organization, 2011). </p><p>Molina also has a keen interest in encouraging minority students to pursue careers in science. In his youth, there was a lack of famous Latino scientists to look up to because, as he relates in an interview with students to celebrate Hispanic Heritage, “there wasn't as much a tradition to be a scientist in our culture” (Scholastic, 1998). Even in his adulthood, he has continued to believe that “We have too few scientists coming from, for example, Hispanic backgrounds, and it's clearly something that needs to be improved” (Thomson, 1995). He promotes this goal through involvement in the <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">Society</mark> for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists and the <mark class="term" data-term="American Chemical Society" data-term-def="A professional society for chemists established in 1876. The mission of ACS is "to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/American+Chemical+Society/5487">American Chemical Society</mark> (ACS) Scholar Program, which encourages underrepresented groups to become scientists (UCSD, n.d.). </p></section> <section id="toc_7"> <h2>Averting catastrophe one issue at a time</h2><p>Over the past several decades, Molina has turned his attention to <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change. He draws parallels between climate change and the depletion of the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone" data-term-def="A form of oxygen, O<sub>3</sub>, produced by the reaction of sunlight with O<sub>2</sub>." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone/8744">ozone</mark> layer: Both are global issues, both are largely the result of human activities, and both need to be addressed at a policy level. He sees both issues as undeniable proof of what human activities are doing to the Earth on a global scale, but acknowledges that the issues he is tackling now will be trickier to solve than the problem with the <mark class="term" data-term="ozone layer" data-term-def="A layer of higher than average concentrations of ozone within the stratosphere. Within the ozone layer, concentration are still in the&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/ozone+layer/2385">ozone layer</mark>. The science of climate change is more complex and controversial, and unfortunately, climate change can be as much a matter of politics as of science. </p><p>When it comes to <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change, the fundamental science is well established. In fact, 97 percent of the world’s climate scientists agree that the climate is changing and humans are the cause. However, some government officials politicize the issue and dismiss the science behind it. One of Molina’s chief missions is to try to communicate with the skeptics. </p><p>The basics of the <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> system are well understood, but the details – for example, predictions about exactly how many <mark class="term" data-term="degree" data-term-def="[<strong>temperature</strong>] One graduated unit of measure on a Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature scale. On the Kelvin scale, graduations are called Kelvins. <br> <br> [<strong>geometry</strong>]&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/degree/8535">degrees</mark> the temperature may change – are more complicated. Molina likens our scientific understanding of climate change to a jigsaw puzzle: “Many pieces are missing, and some might even be in the wrong place, but there is little doubt that the image is clear, namely, that climate change is a serious threat that needs to be urgently addressed” (US Senate Select Committee Hearing, 2010).</p><p>Molina stresses that it doesn’t make sense to require certainty before we take action. It should be enough to know that there is an unacceptably big risk to Earth if we do not control human actions that contribute to <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change. It is not wise to continue with “business as usual,” especially when it comes to the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark>, since it is often necessary to act on a threat that is not seen. He offers an example: “When you drive your car, you wear seat belts and have air bags – and not because you have a certainty that you will crash.… It doesn’t make any sense to require certainty” (Nobel interview, 2014). </p><p>To bridge the gap between science and government, Molina has embarked on a globetrotting mission to communicate the science of <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change in an understandable way and to convey the importance of the problem, along with consequences and possible solutions. He says that one of the biggest challenges is to cut through misinformation and misconceptions.</p> <div class="figure"> <figure> <button class="lightbox-button lightbox-button--icon" data-lightbox="" data-lightbox-src="/img/library/large_images/image_7999.jpg"> <img src="/img/library/modules/mid211/Image/VLObject-7999-150514030559.jpg" alt="Figure 7: In 2014, Dr. Mario Molina received an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree from John Jay College, CUNY. Attending the ceremony were Dr. Anthony Carpi (left), Visionlearning founder and president, and Dr. Nathan Lents (right), Visionlearning senior biology editor." /> </button> <figcaption> <p><strong>Figure 7</strong>: In 2014, Dr. Mario Molina received an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree from John Jay College, CUNY. Attending the ceremony were Dr. Anthony Carpi (left), Visionlearning founder and president, and Dr. Nathan Lents (right), Visionlearning senior biology editor.</p> <span class="credit">image ©John Jay College</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>“Our planet is small and there are too many people to continue living the way we are,” Molina cautions. If humans do not change their reliance on <mark class="term" data-term="fossil" data-term-def="The preserved impression or remains of an animal or plant whose living tissue has been replaced by minerals." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/fossil/8558">fossil</mark> fuels, we face bigger risks, such as abrupt <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change, which can have disastrous results (Nobel Prize Organization, 2014). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon echoed the sentiment during the People’s Climate March, when he told reporters, "There is no Plan B because we do not have Planet B” (Westbrook, 2014).</p><p>Molina, ever the optimist, is certain that we can deal with the problem by working together. He says that we have the power to do something about global <mark class="term" data-term="climate" data-term-def="Climate describes the average and patterns of a particular area’s weather over time. Climate includes such elements as temperature, precipitation, humidity,&hellip;" data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/climate/9334">climate</mark> change; it’s not too late or too expensive. All sectors – scientists, economists, politicians, the public – must come together to work toward a plan, and with urgency since it will cost much less to deal with the problem now than being forced to deal with the impacts of a problem left unaddressed for too long (Yale Environment 360, 2014). He says, “Scientists may depict the problems that will affect the <mark class="term" data-term="environment" data-term-def="The conditions that surround and affect an organism." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/environment/8270">environment</mark> based on available <mark class="term" data-term="evidence" data-term-def="Support for an idea, opinion, or hypothesis." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/evidence/8243">evidence</mark>, but their solution is not the responsibility of scientists but of <mark class="term" data-term="society" data-term-def="A group of people who belong to an organization that has been formed because of shared interest in a specific field." data-term-url="/en/glossary/view/society/8249">society</mark> as a whole” (Centro Mario Molina, n.d.).</p> </div> </section> <hr class="border-color-dark" /> <footer class="module__footer"> <p class="citation"> <em> Bonnie Denmark, M.A./M.S. “Atmospheric Chemistry Research that Changed Global Policy” Visionlearning Vol. SCIRE-1 (9), 2015. </em> </p>  <div class="title-list" id="refs" name="refs"> <p class="h6 title-list__title"> References </p> <ul class="title-list__list"> <li><p>AAAS. (2014). "Mario Molina: What We Know." <em>American Association for the Advancement of Science</em>. http://whatweknow.aaas.org/hear-from-scientists/.</li> <li>Barringer, F. (2012). "F. Sherwood Rowland, cited aerosols’ danger, is dead at 84.” <em>New York Times</em>, March 12, 2012.</li> <li>Centro Mario Molina Para Estudios Estratégico sobre Energía y Medio Ambiente. "Home Page." <em>Centro Mario Molina</em>. http://centromariomolina.org/.</li> <li>Cicerone, R.J., Stolarski, R.S., and Walters, S. (1974). "Stratospheric ozone destruction by man-made chlorofluoromethanes." <em>Science, 185</em>(4157), 1165-1167.</li> <li>Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). "Ozone science: The facts behind the phaseout." <em>EPA</em>. http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/sc_fact.html.</li> <li>Fisher, D.E. (1990). <em>Fire & ice: The greenhouse effect, ozone depletion, & nuclear winter</em>. New York: Harpercollins.</li> <li>Harvard University. (2012). "Climate change linked to ozone loss: May result in more skin cancer." <em>Science Daily</em>. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120726142204.htm.</li> <li>Jones, L. (1988). "Ozone warning : He sounded alarm, paid heavy price." <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, July 14, 1988.</li> <li>Molina, M. (2007). "Mario J. Molina - Biographical." <em>Nobel Media AB</em>. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-bio.html.</li> <li>Molina, M., & Rowland, F.S. (1974). "Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: Chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone." <em>Nature, 249</em>, 810-812.</li> <li>National Climatic Data Center. (2014). "State of the climate: Global analysis for August 2014." <em>National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</em>. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2014/8.</li> <li>Nobel Prize Organization. (2011). "Mario Molina - Interview." <em>Nobel Media AB</em>. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-interview.html.</li> <li>-----. (2014). "Mario Molina - Interview. <em>Nobel Media AB</em>. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-interview.html.</li> <li>Scholastic. (1998). "Celebrate Hispanic Heritage: Mario Molina Interview transcript." <em>Scholastic, Inc.</em>. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/molinatscript.htm.</li> <li>Sullivan, W. (1974). "Tests show aerosol gases may pose threat to Earth." <em>New York Times</em>. September 26, 1974.</li> <li>Thomson, E. (1995). "Molina wins Nobel Prize for ozone work." <em>MIT News</em>. http://newsoffice.mit.edu/1995/molina-1018.</li> <li>UCSD Department of Chemistry. (n.d.). "Faculty Profile: Mario Molina." <em>University of California San Diego</em>. http://www-chem.ucsd.edu/faculty/profiles/molina_mario_j.html.</li> <li>United Nations. (2014). International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. <http://www.un.org/en/events/ozoneday/background.shtml></li> <li>US Senate/Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Select Committee hearing: Address by Mario Molina. May 20, 2010.</li> <li>Westbrook, L. (2014, September 21). Climate change summit: Global rallies demand action. BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29301969</li> <li>Wilson, J. (2012). UCI loses the legendary F. Sherwood Rowland. University of California, Irvine. <http://www.chem.uci.edu/news/7716></li> <li>UNAM (Universidad Autónoma de Mexico). (1995). Entrevistas: Mario Molina (Spanish). <http://www.nobel.unam.mx/molina/entrevistas.html></li> <li>UNEP. (2014). United Nations Environmental Programme: 2014 Highlights. <http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/ozone_highlights.php?year=2014></li> <li>Yale Environment360. (2014). Five questions for Mario Molina on climate science’s PR campaign.</li> <li><http://e360.yale.edu/digest/five_questions_for_mario_molina_on_climate_sciences_pr_campaign/4107/></li> </ul> </div> </footer> </div>   </div>  <div class="order-1 order-2--lg module__tools"> <div class="narrow margin-x-auto position-sticky-top font-size-md"> <div class="padding-2 border-radius box-shadow-1--lg"> <div class="tabs" role="tablist"> <nav> <button class="button button--icon-label" id="tab-button-in-this-module" aria-label="Table of Contents" aria-controls="tab-panel-module__tools" aria-selected="true" role="tab"> <span class="icon icon-list" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="button__text">Contents</span> </button> <button class="button button--icon-label" id="tab-button-toggle-terms" aria-controls="tab-panel-toggle-terms" aria-selected="false" role="tab"> <span class="icon icon-glossary-highlight"></span> <span class="button__text">Glossary Terms</span> </button> </nav> <hr class="divider" /> <div class="tabs__panel shown" id="tab-panel-module__tools" aria-labelledby="tab-button-module__tools" role="tabpanel"> <p class="font-weight-bold margin-bottom-1"> Table of Contents </p> <div class="table-of-contents" id="module-toc"> <ul> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_1">Science for the good of society</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_2">CFCs: Miracle compounds</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_3">Sobering calculations</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_4">A journal article that would change the world</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_5">The Montreal Protocol: A global response to environmental crisis</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_6">Science without borders</a> </li> <li><a href="/en/library/environmental-science/61/atmospheric-chemistry-research-that-changed-global-policy/211#toc_7">Averting catastrophe one issue at a time</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div>   <div class="tabs__panel" id="tab-panel-toggle-terms" aria-labelledby="tab-button-toggle-terms" role="tabpanel"> <div class="reading-toggle"> <div class="reading-toggle__switch"> <div class="form-entry__option__switch"> <label> <input type="checkbox" name="termsToggleSwitch" id="terms-toggle-switch" /> <span class="switch__slider"></span> <span class="option__label text-decoration-none font-size-md"> Highlight Glossary Terms </span> </label> </div> </div> <div class="reading-toggle__help"> <p> <em> Activate glossary term highlighting to easily identify key terms within the module. 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