Bush Weakens Ozone Layer Treaty

The Independent (UK) ^ | 20 July 2003 | Geoffrey Lean

[EdZ]

New US demands - tabled at a little-noticed meeting in Montreal earlier this month - threaten to unravel one of the greatest environmental success stories of the past few decades, causing millions of deaths from cancer.

The news comes at a particularly embarrassing time for the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who pressed the President in their talks in Washington last week to stop his attempts to sabotage the Kyoto Protocol which sets out to control global warming: one of the few international issues on which they differ.

Now, instead of heeding Mr Blair, Mr Bush is undermining the ozone treaty as well, by seeking to perpetuate the use of the most ozone-destructive chemical still employed in developed countries, otherwise soon to be phased out. Ironically, it was sustained pressure from the Reagan administration, in which Mr Bush's father served as vice-president, that ensured the treaty was adopted in the first place. It has proved such a success that environmentalists have long regarded it as inviolable.

The ozone layer - made of a type of oxygen so thinly scattered through the upper atmosphere that, if gathered all together, it would form a ring around the earth no thicker than the sole of a shoe - screens out the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays which would, otherwise, wipe out terrestrial life. As it weakens, more of the rays get through, causing skin cancer and blindness from cataracts.

The world was shocked to discover in the 1980s that pollution from man-made chemicals had opened a hole the size of the United States in the layer above Antarctica, and had thinned it worldwide. Led by the US, nations moved with unprecedented speed to agree the treaty, called the Montreal Protocol, in 1987 - which started the process of phasing out use of the chemicals.

The measures have been progressively tightened ever since. Scientists reckon that they will eventually prevent 2 million cases of cancer a year in the US and Europe alone. But President Bush's new demands threaten to throw the process into reverse.

[EdZ]

Is this consistent with a Pro-life stance? Is this the new compassionate conservatism - get cancer and die? Bush's father signed many of the world's most important environmental laws and treaties. It is too bad George W. is undoing the legacy of his father.

[TheBigB]

All of which were directly unconstitutional and an attack on US sovereignty. I smell a troll!

[dighton]

It is too bad George W. is undoing the legacy of his father.

Things are tough all over.

I've heard of people walking around on this site, minding their own business, when they got turned -- like that! -- into kitten chow.

[StormEye]

"Bush Weakens Ozone Layer Treaty"

Excellent! The "Ozone Treaty" is nothing but a scam.

[MEG33]

I thought we'd converted you.

[dighton]

[Monty22]

The last time this article was pasted, I remarked that the only effect of this ozone treaty crapola was the shuttle columbia burning up over my house.

Still pertains.

[MinorityRepublican]

It's about time that we have a President that places America above all else, including himself.

[dead]

New US demands - tabled at a little-noticed meeting in Montreal earlier this month - threaten to unravel one of the greatest environmental success stories of the past few decades, causing millions of deaths from cancer.

Mostly children and puppies, no doubt.

[Nucluside]

"...It's too bad George W. is undoing the legacy of his father."

Oh no it's not!!!!!!!

[Jeff Chandler]

Isn't it interesting that Freon was banned just as DuPont's patent was running out? I wonder who owns the patent on the replacement? Oh, yeah: DuPont!

Ozone layer my butt.

[absalom01]

I love the smell of ozone in the evening....

[Brett66]

New US demands - tabled at a little-noticed meeting in Montreal earlier this month - threaten to unravel one of the greatest environmental success stories of the past few decades, causing millions of deaths from cancer.

And liberal anti-Amercan treaties have caused trillions of deaths!

[dighton]

Mostly children and puppies, no doubt.

To a point. Children, puppies, and kittens.

[MJY1288]

I used to think the smell of ozone in the morning couldn't be topped, Tonight might make me change my mind :-)

The Ozone theories out there are not proven science and until they are defined by a wide range of scientist and not just the tree hugging envirocrazies who put on a lab coat and swear the U.S. should allow every third world despot to dictate what is in our best interest.

I think we should decide that, How bout you?

[thinktwice]

The chloroflourocarbon known as R-12, when released to the atmosphere (standard atmospheric conditions) weighs five to six times more than the air it displaces. That is 500% to 600 % heavier than air.

It falls to the ground and runs off like water going to the sea.

Ask any shipyard refrigeration guy -- if they let that stuff go inside a ship's hull it fills the hull up, forcing all the air out, leaving no oxygen to breath.

Getting that released R-12 to 70,000 feet altitude is an impossibility.

The entire ozone hole matter is one tremendous fraud.

[itzmygun]

Is this the new compassionate conservatism - get cancer and die?

Actually it's just the old liberal scare tactics: Think for yourself and die.

[BenR2]

Oh my God! Say it ISN'T so! ANYTHING but the sacred OZONE TREATY! (end sarcasm)

[BenR2]

Is this consistent with a Pro-life stance? Is this the new compassionate conservatism - get cancer and die? Bush's father signed many of the world's most important environmental laws and treaties. It is too bad George W. is undoing the legacy of his father.

//////////
I think you forgot to take your meds.

[Ben Ficklin]

As you may or may not know, the Montreal Protocol requires that the developed nations phase out by 2004 while the developing nations are allowed to continue til 2015.

Using a little common sense, one realizes that under this arrangement, there will be no reductions in the use of methyl bromide, only a shift in the location where they will be used. Since it is an ozone depletion problem, the point of usage makes no difference.

Whatever the loss of yield is in the US, it will be made up in a developing nation and then imported to the US.

All countries should be required to conform on the same timetable.