The Ozone Layer From Discovery to Recovery (Paperback)

Guy Brasseur

ISBN 10: 1944970541 / ISBN 13: 9781944970543

Published by American Meteorological Society, Boston, 2020

About this Item

Paperback. From the discovery of ozone in the eighteenth century, through the late twentieth-century international agreements to protect humanity from the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere, Guy P. Brasseur traces the evolution of our scientific knowledge on air quality issues and stratospheric chemistry and dynamics. The history of ozone research is marked by typical examples of the scientific method at work, perfectly illustrating how knowledge progresses. Hypotheses are contested and then eventually accepted or rejected; truths once believed to be universal and permanent can be called into question; and debates and disagreements between scientists are settled by information from laboratory and field experiments. Of course, the scientific method can also lead to new observationsin this case, the discovery of the ozone hole. This finding took researchers by surprise, leading to new investigations and research programs. This first complete study of ozone research demonstrates the key role fundamental research plays in solving global environmental, climate, and human health problems. More importantly, it shows that the scientific method works. Convincing decision makers of research results that do not correspond to their values, or to the interests of certain business groups, stands to be the highest hurdle in using science to benefit humanity. Students, early-career scientists, and even specialists who do not know much about the history of their field will benefit from this big picture view, offered by a researcher who has played leadership roles in stewarding this science through decades of discovery. From Discovery to Recovery. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781944970543

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Ozone Layer From Discovery to Recovery (Paperback)
• Publisher: American Meteorological Society, Boston
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1944970541
• ISBN 13: 9781944970543
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

From the discovery of ozone in the eighteenth century, through the late twentieth-century international agreements to protect humanity from the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere, Guy P. Brasseur traces the evolution of our scientific knowledge on air quality issues and stratospheric chemistry and dynamics. The history of ozone research is marked by typical examples of the scientific method at work, perfectly illustrating how knowledge progresses. Hypotheses are contested and then eventually accepted or rejected; truths once believed to be universal and permanent can be called into question; and debates and disagreements between scientists are settled by information from laboratory and field experiments. Of course, the scientific method can also lead to new observations—in this case, the discovery of the ozone hole. This finding took researchers by surprise, leading to new investigations and research programs.

This first complete study of ozone research demonstrates the key role fundamental research plays in solving global environmental, climate, and human health problems. More importantly, it shows that the scientific method works. Convincing decision makers of research results that do not correspond to their values, or to the interests of certain business groups, stands to be the highest hurdle in using science to benefit humanity. Students, early-career scientists, and even specialists who do not know much about the history of their field will benefit from this big picture view, offered by a researcher who has played leadership roles in stewarding this science through decades of discovery.

About the Author

Guy P. Brasseur is director of the Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and is currently the chair of the Joint Science Committee of the World Climate Research Programme. He is also an external member of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and a distinguished scholar at NCAR.