“Scientists can depict the problems that will affect the environment based on available evidence, but their solution is not the responsibility of scientists, but of society as a whole.” – Mario Molina
Mario Molina was a Mexican chemist who earned his B.S. in the National Autonomous University, his M.S. from the University of Freiburg, and his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley. Soon after obtaining his Ph.D., he joined the University of California, Irvine as a postdoctoral researcher. Here, he used hot atom chemistry to study the effect of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the atmosphere. Molina, along with his postdoctoral advisor, developed the CFC ozone depletion theory, which was pivotal in understanding the environmental impacts of CFCs. For this research, he received numerous awards and honors such as being elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (1993) and being co-awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1995).