New Molecules on an Old Planet: How Pollution Clashes with the Earth System

Discussions about chemical pollution often begin at the human source and end at the damage they cause to humans or the environment. But there are hundreds of different molecules circulating around Earth all the time. What makes “pollution” different and how does it interact with the big natural cycles that make up the planetary engine?

We have records of early attempts to regulate pollution from the 1300s, but recent years have seen far more sophisticated attempts to control and eliminate sources of pollution. Which ones have succeeded and why? This lecture takes a broader look at the concept of pollution, examines stories of success and failure in regulating it, and looks to the future.