The enactment of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 is hailed as a success for international cooperation in general, and environmental policy in particular. In this talk, Dr. Peter Thacher, a retired UN diplomat, explains the circumstances surrounding the identification of the ozone hole problem and the subsequent agreement to curb CFC emissions, the leading contributor to ozone depletion. Dr. Thacher argues that there are lessons to be learned from this case-study that can be applied to future cases of cooperation on environmental issues.

We are now in an unprecedented age where humans have become a force of global importance and where local human behavior has significant global impacts. In light of this new world order, Dr. Richard Rockwell of the University of Michigan addresses the issue of identifying and mitigating the negative impacts of human activity on the environment. These impacts, which Dr. Rockwell describes as large and growing, are and will continue to affect every individual, regardless of whether they directly contribute to the impacts or not.