Volume 67, Issue 4  

This Old Earth Just Keeps On Spinning

by Jesse Mandell

“The atmosphere of this planet is very fragile, like the skin of an apple,” said Nobel Lureate Dr. Mario J. Molina in delivering the Ira Kukin Chemistry Lecture to a crowd at Weissberg Commons on October 29th.

Molina, a Mexico City native won the Nobel Prize for playing an integral role in developing the theory of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) depletion, which was the first demonstration of a global environmental problem precipitated largely by human activities. He discovered that CFCs, originally used in refrigerators to replace ammonia, depleted the ozone layer when turned into a gas.

He explained that CFCs go into the atmosphere, dissolve, and breakdown ozone. “Ozone is a most important substance,” emphasized Molina. “It blocks out ultraviolet radiation from the sun and regulates the amount that reaches us.”  UV radiation causes sunburn and is a leading cause of skin cancer.

Molina’s findings earth shattering discoveries have made critical impact on the world as we know it.  His research conclusions led to an international discussion on the merits of CFCs and the possibility of widespread discontinuation; a majority of First World countries subsequently opted to ban CFCs.

Molina hopes that this policy will reverse the effects of the CFC’s environmental impact. “We must wait until the middle of next century to see what happens.” Unfortunately, many developing countries still use CFCs in such products as refrigerators and as spray can propellants.

Student response to the speech varied. Lenore Ribalt of Stern College found the speech intriguing. She was, “surprised to learn that this (the destruction of the ozone layer) is a global problem.”  However, Binyamin Balsam, a Yeshiva College student, left with misgivings. “I like the lecture overall, but I think it was too political,” remarked Balsam. “It placed too much responsibility on the governments to end the problem.”

Molina was invited to speak at Yeshiva as part of the Kukin lecture series, which has been ongoing at Yeshiva since 1991, when Ira Kukin, a prominent industrialist and former Vice President of Yeshiva University’s Board of Trustees, first sponsored the series.  The lectures have included such luminaries as Nobel Laureates Dr. Roald Hoffman and Dr. Dudley R. Hirschbach.

The event’s sponsor was full of praise for the lecture. “This is the largest student turnout we have ever had,” said a smiling Kukin. “The speaker was fascinating and is a wonderful person. We hope to line up better and better speakers for the upcoming years.”

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