The Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was negotiated and signed by 24 countries and by the European Economic Community in September 1987. The Protocol called for the Parties to phase down the use of CFCs, halons and other man-made ODCs. Today, the number of parties to the Protocol has grown to 162, accounting for more than 95% of the people of planet Earth.

The Montreal Protocol requires that the production and consumption of compounds that reduce ozone in the stratosphere--chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform--are to be phased out by 2000. Scientific theory and evidence suggest that, once emitted to the atmosphere, these compounds could significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer that shields the planet from damaging UV-B radiation. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is one of the first international environmental agreements that include trade sanctions to achieve the stated goals of a treaty.

I believe that through the work of this protocol, people have become more aware and are acknowledging the threat to the ozone layer, ourselves, and the world. The Worldwatch Institute, in its State of the World 1997 Report, notes, "At a time when progress in reversing other global environmental trends is distressingly slow, it is reassuring to see that in responding to the threat of ozone depletion, the world was up to the job." This protocol can be used as a model for future protocols because it has been such a success. It has proven that environmental science and knowledge are a needed investment, and much less expensive than ignorance. This protocol has been a tremendous success, and has been a great building block in the last ten years, and inspiring others to get on board and try to change what we have done to the world.

Works Cited
http://www.theozonehole.com/montreal.htm
http://www.globalcentres.org/cgcp/english/html_documents/ads/coll-e.htm