Atmospheric scientist Veerabhadran “Ram” Ramanathan demonstrated that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were far more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide, transforming scientific understanding of climate change beyond CO2 alone. His research redirected attention toward a broader class of super-pollutants and helped shape the scientific foundation for international negotiations that culminated in the 1987 Montreal Protocol, one of the most consequential environmental agreements in history. Ramanathan’s work fundamentally changed how the United States and the world approached climate science and atmospheric protection.
