ABSTRACT
In a democratic society, decisions relating to the quality of life must ultimately be made by the public, frequently by elected officials or those appointed by elected officials acting as surrogates of the public. Those who are professionally involved with science and technology participate in decision-making in exactly the same sense as all other members of the public. Each individual has the right to seek to influence public opinion, and each has the responsibility to vote. Federal regulations are boundary conditions set by surrogates of the public. To be effective, regulations concerning the use of science and technology must have creditability with the public, and also with the subset of the public known as the scientific and technological community. A total assessment of the ozone problem must deal with the biological effects that flow from changes in the intensity of UV light reaching the surface of the Earth.
