He had been nervous all morning. The argumentative show's objective is to present two contrasting viewpoints on virtually any issue, Kalkstein said. Liberal and conservative commentators join in to debate an issue. They argued with Patrick Michaels, the state climatologist for Virginia and professor of geography at the University of Virginia, and Mona Charen, a conservative journalist. These chemicals, found in refrigerators, air conditioners and some aerosol spray cans, are said to destroy the Earth's protective ozone layer.
Ozone filters the sun's ultraviolet rays as they travel to the Earth's surface.
Without ozone protection, humans will experience increases in cases of skin cancer, cataracts and damage to the immune system. Significant damage to plants and coral reefs would also occur. NASA's report prompted the Senate to pass a policy which will hasten the elimination of CFC production. Michaels and Charen argued that there is no solid scientific proof that ozone depletion and global warming are problems. Without this proof, they said it is unwise to create national policy that will affect America's economy.