[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E802] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO DR. F. SHERWOOD ROWLAND ______ HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Dr. F. Sherwood Rowland, who was born on June 28, 1927, in Delaware, Ohio, and who passed away on March 10, 2012, at his home in Corona del Mar, California, at the age of 84. Professor Rowland was a giant in the scientific community. Along with his colleague Dr. Mario Molina, he discovered the serious threat to the earth's ozone layer posed by man-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. These supposedly harmless chemicals were being released from aerosol sprays, refrigerators, and air conditioners. In their 1974 paper published in Nature, the two scientists showed that CFCs were depleting the planet's protective stratospheric ozone layer. They found that CFCs rose into the stratosphere, where they were broken apart by powerful ultraviolet rays and released chlorine atoms. The chlorine destroyed the ozone molecules protecting the planet's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Sherry Rowland recognized that the depletion of the ozone layer ``was not just a scientific question, but a potentially grave environmental problem.'' Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation meant more cases of skin cancer and eye damage, as well as harm to plant and marine life. Sherry Rowland spoke out about this danger to the ozone layer and argued for a ban on CFCs. Over the years, he did hundreds of press interviews and testified before Congress and state legislatures time and time again. Professor Rowland persevered despite efforts to discredit his work. Scientific societies withdrew their invitations for him to speak about his research. And industry attacked him personally. In 1977, the president of one aerosol manufacturing company claimed that criticism of CFCs was ``orchestrated by the Ministry of Disinformation of the KGB.'' But Professor Rowland was ultimately vindicated by both his fellow scientists and the international community. In 1983, a British Antarctic Survey team confirmed the existence of a hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica. Four years later, the Montreal Protocol was signed. This landmark treaty phased out the production and use of CFCs. The ozone layer is now expected to fully recover around the middle of the century. In 1995, Dr. Rowland received the recognition he deserved when he shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Dr. Molina and Dr. Paul Crutzen for their ozone layer work. Sherry Rowland's life stands as a testament to the critical role of scientific discovery in the development of wise and effective government policy. One need only ponder what the world would be like today without the work and voice of Sherry Rowland to appreciate the magnitude of his contributions. Please join me in celebrating the life of Dr. Sherry Rowland, a man who literally helped save the world. ____________________