ABSTRACT
This chapter looks up to the skies and the momentous efforts to protect our ozone layer. How did an Egyptian scientist win the support of politicians on both the left and the right to secure one of the most successful and impactful environmental treaties to date? This chapter tells the story of Mostafa Tolba, the mercurial and driven leader who sought to galvanize the world to take seriously the danger posed by CFCs—chemical compounds that pose a major threat to our ozone layer. It shows how he championed the issue in the mid-1970s when scientists first began to suspect CFCs were a problem, through the turbulent 1980s when the scale of the threat had become apparent. How did Tolba persuade cautious governments and obstructive manufacturers, ultimately winning over world leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher to his cause? This chapter tells the fascinating story of an unlikely victory for the environment—and its legacy and impact in terms of the countless lives it has saved.
