Ozone Depletion Regime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ozone Depletion Regime - Essay Example According to them, when the compound Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) reaches the atmosphere, it can be broken down by ultraviolet radiation which in turn would result to a release of chlorine atoms. The chlorine atoms would then destroy large amounts of ozone molecules (O3), aggregately called as the ozone layer. Molina and Rowland further contended that since ozone layer absorbs most of the ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun, the depletion of the ozone layer would have dangerous health, environmental and economical implications. The study, which was published on the journal Nature on June 28, 1974, paved way to further studies of the subject and in 1976, the National Academy of Sciences finally confirmed the Rowland- Molina hypothesis. By early 1980's some countries, including the United States and Canada are already exerting their efforts to mitigate the use of the CFC including imposing ban on the non- essential uses of the compound. National efforts however are not enough in that the utilization of ozone depleting chemicals is on a global scale, and it entails a global effort to reduce the use of the ozone depleting substances. To attain this objective, an agreed international effort became necessary. In 1981, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), acted on behalf of a proposal to conduct a global convention on the issue. There was a long deadlock as to the international negotiations to phase out ozone-depleting substances because of such issues as the lack of understanding about the extent of the threat and the presumed unavailability of a technological capacity to respond to the challenge (The Montreal Protocol: History 2001). Finally in March 1985, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer was signed. The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, though reflects international agreements to address the ozone depletion issue, does not contain legally binding control to reduce production and consumption of ozone depleting substances. A need for stronger measures is deemed necessary especially with the advent of reports of an ozone hole over Antarctica and a generated public fear of a possible ozone effected global disaster. Thus resulted th e Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, "the first concrete international measure to control ozone-depleting chemicals" (Parson 2001). The Objectives of the Regime The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer has a generally broad objective in that it merely requires its parties to "take appropriate measures" to protect "human health and the environment from ozone depletion". The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer moved on further from these general goals by imposing stricter measures and by specifying concrete objectives of limiting and regulating the use of the ozone depleting substances. The initial objectives of the Montreal Prot