Subject: Sheep and Trees Are Acting Strangely At `End of the World' Date: Published: 1/12/93 (143 lines) Source: Wall Street Journal. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. Sheep and Trees Are Acting Strangely At `End of the World' --- People at Southern Tip of Chile Blame Thin Ozone Layer And Reach for the Sunblock --- By Thomas Kamm Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal PUNTA ARENAS, Chile -- The end of the world is near in Punta Arenas. But that isn't as ominous as it sounds -- or wasn't until recently. The 125,000 residents of Chile's southernmost city, at the tip of Patagonia, have long joked about living at the world's end. But a spate of doomsday phenomena last year sometimes made the joke seem a bit too literal, and is starting to make some scientists think there might be something new under the sun here. Two weeks after gardening bare-chested for half an hour, artist Rodolfo Mansilla still bears the marks of a sunburn so severe that it felt "like I'd been to Hawaii." Earlier last year, half of Radovan Vilicic's herd of 1,200 cattle were so blinded by conjunctivitis that they crashed into each other like bumper cars, and five starved because they couldn't find their feed. Jose Barria's tan horse broke out in Bambi-like white spots. "I've been a shepherd 18 years, and I've never seen anything like this," he says. "It's scary." Meanwhile, Veronica trees at Ricardo Borquez Schultz's nursery wilted and died. "It seems like a sorcerer has cast a spell," says Hernan Valdenegro, a local agriculture-ministry official. It may be something like that -- or just one big coincidence. But some here wonder: Could the world's end be seeing the beginning of what an ozone hole can do? The odd happenings coincide with the first satellite observations that a huge hole in the stratospheric ozone layer, which normally blocks most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, lingered over the inhabited tip of South America for a few days until the wind kicked up. "In October, we registered the lowest levels of ozone yet measured," says Felix Zamorano, a member of the Atmospheric Studies Group at the local University of Magallanes. "The ozone layer thinned to about half of what is normal for three days and fell below what's considered dangerous levels." In fact, residents of Punta Arenas usually get less exposure to ultraviolet radiation than do your regular beach bunnies. But last fall, the people here got extraordinarily sudden variation in exposure. "What's happening here is something totally new in the world," contends Jaime Abarca, a local dermatologist. "It's as unusual as Martians landing." And it is helping make cold, windswept Punta Arenas a hot place for studying ozone depletion -- partly caused by chlorofluorocarbons from air conditioners and refrigerators -- and how the consequent higher ultraviolet radiation affects man, animals and plants. Those effects can include skin cancer and cataracts, plus trouble for phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain. Intrigued by the Twilight Zone-like tales, a six-member team of U. S. scientists visited here recently. Norwegians and Russians are showing interest, too. At the University of Magallanes, a Brewer Ozone Spectrophotometer and a Robertson Berger Sunburn Meter have been installed. "Soon, we'll have more measuring equipment than red lights," says Roque Tomas Scarpa, the region's governor. So far, many scientists aren't much concerned. Although the U. S. team noted several cases of eye diseases in animals and sunburn, it found no conclusive links to increased radiation, says Oliver Schein, an ophthalmologist from Johns Hopkins University and the team leader. But, he adds, "important effects will probably take 15 to 20 years to develop." Consequently, many here say the time to worry is now, before it's too late. "What's happening here is like AIDS from the sky," says Bedrich Magas, a professor in the University of Magallanes electrical engineering department and an environmental activist. Mr. Schultz needs no convincing. In his greenhouse, he shows some cactus plants that are grown under double-glazed glass; they're green and healthy-looking. Then he shows cactuses that are exposed to the sun; they're red and shriveled. The same thing is happening to his Veronica trees and several varieties of flowers. And the leaves on his eucalyptus tree suddenly yellowed and dried. "This tree's been here for 25 years, and it's the first time this happened," he says. How does he explain it? "It's got to be radiation," he answers. "There's no other reason." Jose Bahamonde tells a similar tale. His ranch, 125 kilometers from here, offers a magnificent view of the Strait of Magellan, but many of his 4,300 sheep can't see it, or much else. About 10% of them are being treated for eye infections, and 200 of his flock went blind last year. Usually, he says, he had only a few infected animals each year, and always during the dry season. "But now it affects many more animals of all ages and happens even during the wet months," he says. "It's almost a contagious epidemic. The animals' conduct changes radically: They walk erratically, get scared, crash into each other or trees." His explanation? "I think it's linked to the ozone layer." Local veterinarians don't know, but say the rancher's theory isn't impossible, because ultraviolet light can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to infection. Back in town, Dr. Abarca says his patients with benign skin problems have suffered greater flare-ups in the past two Southern-hemisphere springs, and he has been treating a flurry of sunburn cases for the first time. "This coincided exactly with the days in which we received the greatest ultraviolet radiation," he says. The number of new skin-cancer cases is staying at 10 to 12 a year, but 25% of them are the more dangerous melanoma cancer-five times the normal proportion. "I'm personally convinced there's a relationship" with increased ultraviolet radiation, he says, "but to conclude this scientifically would take greater methodology." Local authorities don't want to draw conclusions based on a few strange happenings. "I don't deny the facts, but I can't tolerate people making categorical statements without scientific basis," Gov. Scarpa says. Anyway, he adds, there's little he can do, because Chile's CFC emissions are minimal and a recent 87-nation accord to phase out CFCs by 1996 does nothing about those already in the atmosphere. "What do you want to do?" the governor asks. "We can't put the whole region under a roof." Nevertheless, no one here is taking unnecessary chances. The Cruz del Sur pharmacy is selling 40% more sunblock than last year, especially the very protective factor 25 type despite its $15-a-tube cost. "People don't care about the price," says Claudia Diaz, a saleswoman. At Optica Magallanes, sales of sunglasses rose 30% last year. "Customers want the darkest glasses possible, with UV protection," says Dora Trinanes, a saleswoman. A local farmer is trying to design sunglasses for sheep. Mr. Magas has set up a "sunburn hot line" that gives callers the latest ultraviolet readings; three local radio stations beam them, too. Some schools advise students to wear a hat, sunblock and sunglasses. The Rev. Francisco Petek, who heads the local meteorological observatory, recommends "going outside early and late in the day and remaining indoors at other hours." There's something odd about a town known for its cold, windy weather doing all this. "For us, the sun is something rare, so seeing it as a risk is torture," says Patricia Stambuk, the director of a local radio station. But there's no reason to overdo it, local authorities contend. As the university's Mr. Zamorano notes, "When we talk of Punta Arenas as the end of the world, we mean it geographically, not demographically." [This article is made available here by Dow Jones Co. for the personal and non-commercial use of callers to this bbs, in the hope that it will be of some help to those who are suffering from the disease and others who are seeking to help them.]