Mario Molina Interview (page: 3 / 8) Nobel Prize in Chemistry	Print Interview

You faced intense opposition from many sectors, especially industry. Can you recall for us some of the harshest criticism you faced, and how you reacted to that?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Mario Molina: I remember in some scientific meetings, again, arguing about the uncertainties of the problem. And there was not that much disagreement in terms of the science itself with our industry colleagues. It was more either in the public relations arena, or else in terms of whether to advise society to do something about it or not. I remember very well my attitude at that time was that, at the very least, industry should do some research on potential replacements for these compounds. At the same time, of course, we had to know more about the atmosphere, but we had to begin thinking about the possibility of regulating these chemicals. And that's of course what industry was opposed to do at the beginning, because they wanted more scientific evidence. But eventually we came together on what the scientific evidence indeed was. Very clear. We started to work in a collaborative mode, and that's what made it possible to reach these international agreements, the Montreal Protocol and so on, on a very short time scale.

[ Key to Success ] Perseverance

Is that aspect the most satisfying for you, to see those agreements come about because of your work?

Mario Molina: Yes, indeed. Two aspects. One is that they were reached with collaboration among all these different groups. And the second aspect is that they are working, that all the industrialized countries are actually following the Montreal Protocol. It's not perfect. There are some problems here and there, but overall it's indeed the case that these compounds, these CFCs, are no longer being manufactured. It's also an important aspect of this problem, this precedent that industry and society can be very inventive. They were able to come up with technological solutions, so that we still have refrigeration, we still have spray cans, we have plastic foam. All the important uses of these compounds are still with us, and yet with these technological solutions, one could do that with compounds that are less damaging to the environment.

Are you satisfied with this achievement, bringing the world together on this important issue?

Mario Molina: Well, it's certainly very rewarding to see that indeed the world has responded, and that the nations of the world are doing something about this problem. To me, it's a very important precedent. In this case, we had some very specific chemicals which were being made by a relatively small number of industries, so the problem could be solved. It was by no means easy. But to me it's a very important precedent. I'm an optimist, so that shows to me that even for these much harder problems that we have, such as the use of energy worldwide, it is not going to be as easy to come up with an agreement. But nevertheless we know there's an example out there that worked. So that means that we can also work to a solution of these other very challenging problems.

You and your colleagues made a discovery that may have literally saved the world. Do you think about that?

Mario Molina: What I really think is that it was the effort of the whole scientific community. Perhaps we started thinking about this problem, but the way I see it is having worked with an excellent group of colleagues. They all did excellent work. We, all together, planned experiments, showed in very clear ways, with very good science, that the effect is real. We eventually worked not just in the scientific community, but with economists, environmental organizations, lawyers, and certainly with industry itself. So for me, that's what is very rewarding, to see that all these sectors of society, some of which we were fighting with to begin with, that we all came together and it's indeed possible in this collaborative mode to come up with solutions to these problems.

Let's talk a little bit about your background. Where are you from, and how you did you get started?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Mario Molina: I was born in Mexico City. I was born and raised in that city. I went to school -- to college -- in Mexico, eventually studying chemical engineering. But long before I went to college, I was already fascinated with science. I can remember playing with chemistry toys and microscopes and so on. So since I was a child, I really became very interested in science, and had as a goal to become a scientist and to pursue scientific research as a career. So eventually, when I finished college in Mexico, to become a researcher, I decided to go abroad. So first I spent a few years in Europe, and then eventually came to the United States, doing a Ph.D. at Berkeley in chemistry. That was the way in which I could actually achieve my goal of doing research for a living.

[ Key to Success ] Passion

You mentioned that you were already interested in chemistry as a child. What fueled that interest in chemistry?

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Mario Molina: I remember, as a very young child -- just natural curiosity, I guess -- just trying to find out how toys work, taking them apart and so on, and eventually doing the same thing with chemistry sets. So it was really before entering high school that I realized that chemistry and biology -- at that time it was not very clear for me which of the two -- but it was something fascinating for me. I began to read biographies of famous scientists. I also liked mathematics at that time, so I realized that I could combine this sort of natural curiosity to see how nature functions, with a creativity in terms of trying to quantify the way nature works. It was really, for me, just a natural development, I believe, just to keep this interest, this natural curiosity alive, which sometimes -- through the natural process of going to school somewhere or other -- it dies, or so. But for me, it was an obsession, and I was able to continue with it.

[ Key to Success ] Passion

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