13. Global Action

In 1974, Dr. Sherwood Rowland and Dr. Mario Molina published a seminal paper about the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer by the greenhouse gases CFC and halons. Chemical manufacturers argued that millions would die without refrigeration and air conditioning. Without aerosol spray, there were dire warnings of “bad hair days.”

Satellite images of the hole in the ozone changed everything. First individuals, then cities, then nations took action. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed into agreement by the major countries of the world, including the United States. 21 years after their published research, Dr. Rowland, Dr. Molina, and Dr. Paul Crutzen were awarded the Nobel Prize.

Now that the production of one set of dangerous chemicals is being controlled, the nations of the world are wrestling to stop global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Again we see the forces of short-term economic disruption pitted against the forces of preserving humankind. One U.S. president sponsored the Kyoto Protocol, only to have the next president dismiss it as “fatally flawed.” One oil executive pronounced global warming a hoax, while the next accepted it and announced that they have moved “beyond petroleum.” While some nations stubbornly refuse to accept responsibility for their damaging emissions, others have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions.

The Montreal Protocol is proof that the major nations of the world can agree to stop destroying our atmospheric shield. The chapter looks at how communities, cities, states, and nations are taking positive steps to stop an emerging climate crisis.

Read about transportation solutions to global warming in John Addison’s new book - Save Gas, Save the Planet.

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