As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month, it’s hard to imagine where climate research would be right now without the contributions of Mexican chemist Mario Molina.
Molina was born in Mexico City, Mexico, March 19, 1943.
He’s the first and only Mexican-born scientist to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere.
CFC-ozone depletion theory
The award-winning chemist, and his colleague F. Sherwood Rowland at the University of California, Irvine developed the “CFC-ozone depletion theory.”
The scientists found chlorofluorocarbons could deplete the ozone layer. In 1974, their research paper published in “Nature,” said CFCs could destroy the stratospheric layer of the ozone, which absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
In 1985, his research led to the discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica.
He looked at the chemistry of the polar stratospheric clouds while working with the Jet Propulsion Lab. Molina’s research of CFCs showed how chlorine-activation reactions were leading to the loss of ozone in the polar stratosphere at the South Pole.
Extraordinary Science
The chemist’s research on CFCs and its impact on the ozone layer became a blueprint for other environmental scientists.
His work contributed to the creation of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. It’s the first international treaty on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The agreement made a pledge to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
In 1995, Molina was the co-recipient for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and was the first Mexican scientists to do so. They recognized him for his work on CFC gases and its threat to the Earth’s ozone.
Former President Barack Obama awards chemist, and Nobel Prize winner Mario Molina with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Former President Barack Obama also recognized Molina’s work as an environmental scientist. The Former President awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He then spent his life’s work confronting air pollution and pushing environmental policy.
He died Oct. 7, 2020 at 77.
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