ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on key concepts covered in the preceding chapters in the book. The book describes the discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica, the identification of CFCs as a critical causal factor, and the international agreement to stop manufacture and dissemination of CFCs. It provides the distinction between the knowledge model of science in public policy, dominant when there is a premium on knowing what is really going on, and the politics model, where real or alleged scientific findings are used polemically to sway policy in one's preferred direction. The book discusses the irony is that Americans profess unwaveringly high confidence in the leaders of science, more than any other rated institution except the military, even as they reject specific scientific claims that are incompatible with their beliefs. The crux of our problem is the few technical controversies that become highly publicized, politicized, and polarized.
