BY ALEX DOSS
The June, 1992 Earth Summit and the Clinton Presidency beginning in 1993 were the foundational platforms for forming the worldwide environmental agenda, together with its propaganda, implementation and enforcement strategy. Subsequently, all of its major elements were introduced to Congress by Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Claudine Schneider, Al Gore and Timothy Wirth, among others.
The Rowland and Molina ozone depletion theory is the foundation for the environmental movement, and the foot in the door for the other, later additions to the agenda that would allow it to be a “comprehensive blueprint.”
Though the 1992 Earth Summit and the Clinton administration were the two most important political platforms for its launch as a “comprehensive blueprint,” these, like everything of importance, had an important lead-up.
In order for a national or world wide environmental movement to exist and work, it must captivate the following four spheres of society: Science, general culture, business and politics. The area of science is the beginning, because without a plausible scientific theory, the movement cannot exist. From science, it has to gain a foothold in the general culture, from which it can then exert influence on business and politics.
The very fact that science is one of the most revered spheres of life, and is the home of many of the most important ideas or discoveries, means also that it can be one of the most effective platforms for Marxist ideology to disguise itself as an angel of light, and gain the confidence and trust of the public. This was understood by the original director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover:
“The Communist world has devised an educational program which is specifically designed to attain world supremacy in science. This educational challenge is one of the most significant aspects of the over-all Communist challenge. The Communist educational program continuously selects the best young minds, finances their schooling, trains them thoroughly for specific careers, and offers powerful incentives to stimulate them to outstanding effort. Under the current emphasis on scientific training, the student’s life is oriented toward the achievement of one goal- attaining scientific and technological progress- and the results are solid evidence that, for Communist purposes, their educational system is frighteningly effective.”
The ozone depletion theory was first introduced in 1974 by F.S. Rowland and Mario J. Molina, and was preceded by the larger, student environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The introduction of this theory gave the movement a reason to raise its gaze to the skies. Rather than it being limited in its influence to problems that were easily understood and verifiable by the public such as smog or contaminated water, the ozone depletion theory gave the movement the opportunity to extend its influence across all spheres of industry by operating in an unknown scientific realm, where information on both industry and nature alike could be controlled, fabricated, suppressed or distorted- yet believed. The first two policy changes in the United States in accordance with the “comprehensive blueprint” were not the result of the 1992 Earth Summit or the presidency of Bill Clinton. They were the predecessor. The Montreal Protocol, first introduced in September, 1987, is a world-wide treaty and a direct result of the ozone theory, which called for the elimination of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other chemicals, due to their alleged role in ozone depletion. The environmental movement, like in all of its work, furthered this ban in increments. At the beginning was a ban in 1978 of CFCs as propellants in spray cans. After the protocol’s first introduction in 1987, and after the arrival of weaker U.S. leadership, the original rules of the Montreal Protocol were then expanded in 1990 to include more chemicals. Although the environmental movement is, and always has been an antagonist to basic American industry, this treaty would not have been possible without both the cooperation and support of industry which had been corrupted from the inside.
Ira Einhorn, the lead figure of the 1970 Earth Day celebrations, who became a fugitive from the United States for the murder of his girlfriend, was financed by Charles Bronfman. Charles and his brother Edgar Bronfman would become the new owners of Du Pont in 1986, and under their direction, Du Pont went from being one of the world’s largest producers and defenders of CFCs to being one of the lead entities behind the ban on CFCs.
The world’s largest chemical companies, the leading producers of CFCs were the following:
-Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Britain
-Hoechst AG, West Germany
-Atochem SA, France
-Allied Signal Inc., Buffalo, NY
-Showa Denko KK, Japan
-Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Delaware
Of these chemical companies, Du Pont and Imperial Chemicals Industries of Britain (ICI) were the lead voices from within the industry for forming and establishing the Montreal Protocol. The Bronfmans’ influence in the United States prior to their role in Du Pont can be seen in the book called Dope, Inc. Their hasty rise to power at Du Pont, which began in 1980, is well documented in The Holes in the Ozone Scare, and will not be repeated here.
In addition to the Bronfmans’ takeover of Du Pont, which became complete in 1986-1987, was Du Pont’s new chairman, Edgar Woolard, who became the chairman in April, 1989.
Edgar Woolard was an outspoken advocate, both inside and outside the boardroom, for the concept that he himself termed, “Corporate Environmentalism.” His speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in London on May 4th, 1989 illustrates the role that general culture can have on the highest, most important decisions in industry, either for good or bad, as well as the role that Du Pont itself had in the Montreal Protocol:
“Science and technology are marvelous things. No one knows this better than those of us who work at Du Pont where we have witnessed the many good things that science and engineering make possible in our lives.
“But the flip side is that we sometimes position ourselves on an environmental issue on the basis of available technical and scientific data alone. We have been too inclined to act as though public wishes and concerns matter less than the technical opinions of scientists and engineers. But in fact public opinion must be dealt with regardless of the technical facts…
“In 1986 we led industry support of international negotiations that resulted in the Montreal Protocol with its provisions for cutbacks… What will those future actions be? Well, we cannot sit around and wait for events to drive us. We have developed a corporate agenda for environmental leadership for the next decade…
“Industry has a checkered past of successes and failures in environmental matters, and as a result, manufacturers have been painted many colors in recent years. That will have to change. In the future we will have to be seen as all one color, and that color had better be green.”
Du Pont’s Freon division was staffed and led by some of the world’s most competent scientists and leading experts in CFCs, all of whom strongly opposed a ban. Just as Edgar Woolard’s speech illustrates the potential importance of general culture on industry, so also the knowledge and expertise of these true scientists illustrate the need for a leader who loves wisdom, rather than a fool who despises it.
The other lead voice for the Montreal Protocol within industry was the British chemical producer ICI, which will be addressed in the next article.
Alex Doss is a musician and piano technician in Spring Hill and also has other areas of interest and knowledge.
