F. Sherwood Rowland
He shared the Nobel Prize for his work on the depletion of the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons.
Most quoted
"Isn't it a responsibility of scientists, if you believe that you have found something that can affect the environment, isn't it your responsibility to actually do something about it, enough so that action actually takes place?"
— from Nobel Prize Lecture, 1995
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Especially if you made them feel wrong."
— from Attributed/Paraphrased
"What's the use of having developed a science well enough to make predictions if, in the end, all we're willing to do is stand around and wait for them to come true?"
— from Interview/Speech
All quotes by F. Sherwood Rowland (415)
Last words reflection: I leave a world slightly safer for my efforts.
The ozone layer is a shield that protects life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. We are depleting that shield.
What's the use of having a scientific discovery if you don't tell people about it?
It's not enough to discover a problem; you have to work to solve it.
The evidence was overwhelming. We had to speak out.
You can't just do the science and then walk away. You have to be involved in the policy.
The scientific community has a responsibility to inform the public about potential dangers.
We were convinced that we were right, and we were prepared to defend our findings.
The atmosphere is not an infinite sink for pollutants.
Sometimes, the most important discoveries are the ones that tell us what we're doing wrong.
Science is a process of continuous questioning and refinement.
The environment is a global issue, and it requires global solutions.
We have to think about the long-term consequences of our actions.
The scientific method is our best tool for understanding the world around us.
It's a testament to human ingenuity that we were able to address the ozone problem.
The Montreal Protocol is a success story, but it's not the end of the story.
We need to continue to monitor the atmosphere and be vigilant.
The chemistry of the atmosphere is complex, but it's understandable.
Our work showed that seemingly innocuous chemicals could have global consequences.
The scientific community has a crucial role to play in informing policy decisions.
Contemporaries of F. Sherwood Rowland
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of F. Sherwood Rowland (1927–2012).