| Summary: | In this episode, host Peter Krogh examines the international community’s response to some of the most pressing threats facing the environment. Between 1980 and 1988 the ozone shield, which prevents harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the earth, fell by 5% worldwide and by even more in areas like Antarctica. Ultraviolet rays can cause cancer, damage life in the sea and substantially reduce agricultural yields, thereby threatening the food supply. To respond to this threat the international community came together in unprecedented cooperation, signing the 1987 Montreal Protocol. This agreement pledged a 50% reduction in chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, the chemical used in air conditioners and aerosol cans known to deplete the ozone. However, this international cooperation did not extend to other environmental issues, such as the threat posed by acid rain. Though highly visible in the form of destroyed forests and eroded statues around the world, the international community seemed unable to agree on the seriousness of the problem, let alone confront it. While Canadian policy makers viewed acid rain as a grave threat to their nation’s economy and populace, American officials did not believe there was adequate proof to justify the $10-15 billion per year that acid rain control programs would cost, giving rise to growing tensions between the two neighbors. This episode examines the differences between American and international responses to emerging environmental threats, including worldwide trends such as deforestation, global warming, and desertification. Discusses some of the environmental problems facing the earth, and the ways in which the international community is attempting to combat these problems.
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