Record Ozone Destruction Over Arctic

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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               GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> RECORD OZONE DESTRUCTION IN THE FACE OF CONTINUED CHEMICAL
PRODUCTION
 
LONDON 12 March 1996 (GP) Latest figures showing record ozone
depletion over the Arctic come as no surprise as the world
continues to sanction the production of ozone killing
chemicals, Greenpeace said today. 
 
The statistics, released by the World Meterological
Organisation, show extremely low ozone levels of up to 45%
depletion from Greenland to Scandinavia to Western Siberia.  
 
Despite the annual warnings from scientists, Governments
continue to weaken key aspects of the international ozone
agreement, the Montreal Protocol.  At the last meeting, in
December, chemical industries around the world celebrated as
their lobbying managed to secure themselves years of future
markets for ozone destroying chemicals.  At the same time the
world's record ozone hole, bigger than the size of Europe,
appeared over the Antarctic.   
At the meeting, industrialised countries fought against
stepping up their own controls on some ozone killers, whilst
making deals to ensure that developing countries would be able
to wait for years before agreeing any controls themselves.
 
Meanwhile countries around the world are now taking the lead
from that meeting and weakening their own legislation, notably
the United States and Italy.  
 
The Italian Government is making moves to change its own
strong ozone legislation, which could weaken an upcoming EU
regulation on methyl bromide and hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs).  "Italy, currently holding the presidency of the EU,
has a responsibility toward the people of Europe to stop this
escalating ozone crisis as soon as possible," said Heslop.
"Listening to one sector of commerce rather than the
environmental evidence is dangerous and stupid."
 
Similarly, the United States is now in the process of amending
the Clean Air Act, which covers all ozone killers, and the
main new ozone destroying chemical, methyl bromide.  Methyl
Bromide, a pesticide and fumigant, is a significant ozone
killer and, under the Clean Air Act, should be phased out by
the year 2001.  However, due to enormous pressure from
chemical companies in the US, such as Great Lakes Chemicals,
the act is now being
undermined.
 
Ozone depletion causes skin cancer, eye cataracts, breaks down
the immune system, harms crops and kills phytoplankton at the
bottom of the marine food chain.  According to UN figures, a
sustained 16% ozone depletion could lead to a loss of up to 7

million tonnes of fish a year. 
 
"The only winners in the game of ozone destruction right now
are the chemical companies who are making huge profits -- at
the expense of the planet," said Heslop. 
                             ends
 
Contact: Tracy Heslop Greenpeace Communications ++44 171 833
0600  
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