Sorry, guys. Net, I just can't accept the null hypothesis and have to reject it. I know; I know; a guy got the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work on CFCs and ozone. Nice. Sounds like really good work in chemistry.
So, the null hypothesis is that we must restrict CFCs or we will be destroying the planet, the sky will fall, we will all get skin cancer, in the tropics all life will be destroyed, the ozone layer is the blanket protecting life on our Mother Earth, and we will be destroying it! Evil humans! Evil CFCs! Precious life giving ozone! So go the cries.
Sorry, guys, I have to reject that null hypothesis.
Why reject? It smells like week old dead fish, that's why.
Or, it's the old trilogy: Transgression by sinful, evil humans (using CFCs). Retribution from an angry god (skin cancer). Redemption via sacrifice (destroy old A/C equipment).
Old? Sure, back to the old English morality plays. In various versions, for centuries in Europe it had the Roman Catholic church filthy rich. How rich? Look up the Bishop's Residenz in Würzburg (1751-53). To heck with some dirt cheap, $100 million Manhattan apartment; for some real luxury, tough to beat the Bishop's Residenz! Or, at one time, the Roman Catholic church owned a major fraction of all the farm land in France which happens to have a major fraction of all the good farm land in Europe. Did I mention rich?
Such a good wheel had to be reinvented: Okay, the Mayan charlatans claimed that they had to kill people (sacrifice) to pour their blood on a rock to keep the sun moving across the sky (redemption). Ah, right, the trilogy from Europe was more sophisticated!
Okay, guys: It's a scam. Old England figured it out with the morality plays. The Europeans figured it out with the Roman Catholic church. The Mayans figured it out with pouring blood on a rock. It's a popular scam, reinvented more than once. Don't believe it's not a scam.
Instead, as usual, there's a hidden agenda. Or, wise advice, "Always look for the hidden agenda.". Yup, good advice.
Here for CFCs, what is the hidden agenda? Sure: Outlaw old Freon, which was getting to be a cheap commodity; sell new refrigeration working fluids at much higher prices; and destroy all existing auto A/C and more refrigeration equipment. Yup, I've got two cars with A/C that doesn't work due to lack of Freon.
So, net, what is the really believable real reason for the laws against CFCs? Sure: Sell more working fluid and equipment for refrigeration, especially auto A/C.
That the real reason is protecting the ozone layer? Smells like week old dead fish to me. Selling more A/C sounds much more believable.
Or, take the other wise advice, "Follow the money.". Still, I'm sure it was some really nice chemistry.
For NASA talking about this now? Hmm .... The White House likes to have the Administration talking about green things. Doing things? Not so much. Talking? Yup, lots of it. Why? Get political support from the greenies. Easy political support -- just have, say, NASA issue some press releases and get some support. Nothing real, just some simple politics.
Do I believe that the NASA statement is really about the ozone or about White House politics? I come down on the side of White House politics; I'm sure that the White House cares much more about politics than ozone.
Sorry 'bout that, but as a citizen I have to form opinions, and eventually I can smell week old dead fish and do believe in the importance of hidden agendas, following the money, and watching out for politics, all much more than ozone.
Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me. I've been fooled more than once already and don't want to be fooled again. By now I don't believe it's really about the ozone; not a chance. If NASA and the White House have some really good evidence, then they can trot it out. Else I will just move on.
Now, has rational, engineering, scientific, skeptical Hacker News been converted into naive, sucker, gullible, politically correct,, brain-dead, anxiety-ridden. manipulated greenie news and propaganda? Are are some people getting paid for such propaganda?