Mack McFarland Obituary, Death – A few weeks ago, I was deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Mack McFarland had passed away. I had known and respected him for many years. The following was a note that was sent by Kevin Fay, who serves as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy: “We are writing to inform you of the passing of our good friend and colleague, Dr. Mack McFarland, and it is with a great deal of sadness that we do so. Mack had an illustrious career as an esteemed atmospheric scientist and served as a key advisor to the DuPont company, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy (ARAP).
Beginning in the early days of the Alliance and the policy efforts on the issue of ozone protection, we had the privilege and honor to know and work with Mack for nearly 40 years. During that time, we also had the opportunity to know and work with Mack. He played a significant role in the scientific evaluation process that paved the way for the initial negotiations of the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent amendments, including the most recent effort involving the Kigali amendment.
He was a steady hand, a sound scientist, and a significant contributor to the more than three decades of success that have allowed the Montreal Protocol to be known as the most successful environmental treaty ever negotiated. This success has allowed the Montreal Protocol to be known as the most successful environmental treaty ever negotiated. As a result of his work, industry leaders and the most senior policy officials all over the world were familiar with and appreciative of his contributions because he helped translate complicated atmospheric science into language that is more accessible to the general public and contributed to the development of credible and effective policy solutions that are supported by the science.
Even more importantly, he was a wonderful person as well as a treasured coworker and a loyal friend. He passed away recently. We can take solace in the fact that he was able to see the culmination of the success of his work over the last six years in the completion of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the passage of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (the AIM Act), and the completion of the Kigali ratification process here in the United States. His passing is tragic, but we can take solace in the fact that he was able to see the culmination of the success of his work over the last six years Because of this, we owe him a great deal of gratitude, as he has a legacy that very few people can say they have achieved in their line of work.”