Mario Molina
Mexican chemical engineer (1943-2020) · Mexico · Scientists · Died at 77
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Something wrong?He showed that the chemicals in hairspray and refrigerators were ripping a hole in the sky. The work won Mario Molina a Nobel Prize in 1995 and helped broker one of the only successful global environmental treaties in history.
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About this person
Molina was born in Mexico City on 19 March 1943. As a physical chemist, he discovered that chlorofluorocarbon gases - the compounds then ubiquitous in aerosol cans and cooling systems - were destroying the Earth's ozone layer, and he played a pivotal role in identifying the Antarctic ozone hole. The finding earned him the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, making him the first Mexican-born scientist to receive a Nobel in that field. He held research and teaching positions at UC Irvine, Caltech, MIT, UC San Diego, and Scripps, and later directed the Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment in Mexico City. He advised President Enrique Peña Nieto on climate policy until his death on 7 October 2020.
In common with Mario
Riccardo GiacconiBoth received NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
George SmootBoth received NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
John PolanyiBoth received Polanyi Medal
Nancy RomanBoth received NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
John C. MatherBoth received NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
Dudley R. HerschbachBoth received Polanyi MedalFame.am measures public visibility signals. It does not measure human value, talent, morality, or credibility.