The Ozone Dilemma: a reference handbook (Contemporary World Issues Series)

Abstract

Review: The Ozone Dilemma: a reference handbook By David E. Newton Reviewed by Haipeng Li Oberlin College Library, Oberlin College Newton, David E. The Ozone Dilemma: a reference handbook (Contemporary World Issues Series) Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc. 1995. 195 pp. US $39.50 hardcover ISBN: 0-87436-719-0. Recycled, acid-free paper. As part of the ABC-CLIO's award-winning Contemporary World Issues Series, this informative reference book discusses issues and concerns related to the depletion of the earth's ozone -- its cause, impact, and solutions. The book is unique in that it embraces, in one single volume, the main features of the debate on ozone depletion. It successfully provides background information on a number of topics related to this issue, such as an overview of ozone depletion and the role of human- made chemicals in ozone loss. Unlike many other publications on the ozone, most of which are science- oriented and technical, this book focuses on important topics such as potential threats to the ozone layer, additional discoveries, potential effects, and some proposed solutions for ozone depletion. The Ozone Dilemma: a reference handbook is targeted at both specialists and general readers. Also included are the views, opinions, and results from important scientific studies and significant international conferences, as well as different approaches to the proposed solutions for ozone depletion. The book serves as a useful reference tool by summarizing some of the most important events that have taken place in this field over the past two centuries, such as the discovery of ozone in 1840 and the creation of The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in 1972. It also provides brief biographical information on some of the most important figures in the ozone question, such as Mario J. Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland, who together wrote a historic paper in 1974 on the effects of chlorine on ozone in the stratosphere. Current, annotated listings of organizations and resources will further assist readers in their studies. The glossary will help readers who are not familiar with scientific terms; listings of acronyms and abbreviations, and formulas and nomenclature