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Article: Shaky science scarier than ozone fiction. (lack of scientific evidence that proves there is a depletion in atmospheric ozone) (Column)
- Article from:
- Insight on the News
- Article date:
- March 28, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During the past five years, the public has been bombarded with alarming news about an alleged depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer that shields the Earth's surface against solar ultraviolet radiation. This is especially scary because part of the ultraviolet spectrum, termed UV-B, is believed to cause skin cancer, including the deadly malignant melanoma, and a variety of other disasters luridly spelled out in the popular press: plankton death, blind sheep and rabbits and, of course, the obligatory effect on the immune system.
The trouble is that the existing scientific evidence has not supported the more frightening scenarios. Plankton have such a short life ...