Greenpeace International Ozone Campaign

Brief Summary

Introduction

The depletion of the Earth's ozone layer [jpg:57K], over and beyond natural fluctuations, is caused by chlorine and bromine molecules that are elevated into the stratosphere by industrial compounds, such as CFCs, HCFCs and methyl bromide. The only effective strategy for protecting the ozone layer is eliminating, as quickly as possible, the anthropogenic sources of chlorine and bromine loading in the upper atmosphere.

The Goals of the Greenpeace Ozone Campaign

Greenpeace is campaigning worldwide for an immediate global ban on the further production and use of ozone destroying substances, such as CFCs, HCFCs and methyl bromide. This is an environmental and health imperative for present and future generations of life.

Greenpeace is campaigning on the fact that environmentally safer alternative substances and technologies exist for virtually all current applications of ozone depleting chemicals; and that it is possible to protect the ozone layer and meet societal needs without switching to dangerous substitutes like HFCs, that contribute significantly to global warming.

The Components of the Greenpeace Ozone Campaign

The campaign is based on the following interconnected components:

Scientific Information
The campaign keeps up-to-date with the latest scientific information regarding ozone depletion and the corresponding impact of increased UV-B radiation on humans, marine and terrestrial life, vegetation, and the atmosphere. This information is conveyed to the public, and provides the rationale and the sense of urgency behind the campaign.

Technological Development
Greenpeace has researched the availability of environmentally safer technologies and products for virtually every current application of ozone destroying chemicals. This research is on-going. Commercially viable alternatives do exist, with new technologies and products rapidly being developed around the world. This research is published and disseminated to international organizations, industry, the public and governments. It is coupled with the message that "there is no need for HCFCs and HFCs".

Development of Greenfreeze : A Revolution in Refrigeration Technology
In 1992 Greenpeace initiated the process which resulted in the production of Greenfreeze --the world's first CFC, HCFC and HFC free household refrigerator. Greenfreeze utilizes hydrocarbons for both the insulation foam blowing agent and the refrigerant coolant. Hydrocarbons have zero ozone depleting and negligible global warming qualities. They are also inexpensive and energy efficient.

Since the spring of 1993, when the first model left the assembly line in Germany, Greenfreeze technology has spread like wild-fire throughout Europe, and other parts of the world. Many models of 'Greenfreeze' refrigerators [jpg:18K] are now on sale in Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Britain. All of the major European companies, Bosch, Siemens, Electrolux, Liebherr, Miele, Quelle, Vestfrost , Whirlpool, Bauknecht, Foron, AEG are marketing a variety of models of Greenfreeze refrigerators. Companies in Argentina, China and India will soon be producing Greenfreeze refrigerators as a result of Greenpeace initiatives.

Greenpeace continues to promote the Greenfreeze-technology [jpg:25K] around the world, especially in developing countries who have the most gain from switching directly from CFCs to hydrocarbons, and leap-frogging the expensive transitional substances of the chemical industry, i.e. HCFCs and HFCs.

Greenpeace is also encouraging the development of safer alternative technologies in mobile, household and industrial air-conditioning, and in super-market refrigeration.

Corporate Campaigning : Saying "No" To The Producers of ODSs
Through non-violent direct actions[jpg:32K], public protests [jpg:22K], billboard campaigns [jpg:20K], letter writing campaigns, face to face meetings with corporate representatives, and attendance at annual general meetings of shareholders, Greenpeace has confronted, and continues to confront, the producers of ozone destroying substances -- the giant multinational chemical corporations like Du Pont, ICI, Hoechst, Elf Atochem. The message is clear: "Stop profiting from ozone destruction and global warming."

Greenpeace demands that these corporations put an immediate end to the production of ozone destroying chemicals (CFCs), and not replace them with a second generation of ozone destroying substances (HCFCs), or potent global warming compounds (HFCs). HCFCs and HFCs are the chemical industry's favourites for replacing CFCs. The chemical corporations hold the patent on HCFCs and HFCs and naturally they would like the world to believe that there are no other alternatives. Instead, these corporations should help the world climb out of the ozone hole that their products created in the first place by committing their extensive resources towards the development of safe, not-in-kind, alternative products and technologies.

Technological answers are available. For example, as a direct result of Greenpeace's campaign against the environmentally harmful transitional solutions of the chemical industry, i.e. HCFCs and HFCs, a major natural gas company in the U.K., Calor Gas, has introduced a new range of hydrocarbon refrigerant products, called CARE 30. Care 30 is promoted as a drop-in replacement for CFCs in refrigeration and air-conditioning.

International Campaigning
The campaign closely monitors regulatory and economic developments regarding the control of ozone depleting substances within international organizations such as the Montreal Protocol, World Bank, Multilateral Fund, and the European Commission, and also scrutinizes the policies of national governments.

More specifically, the Greenpeace works to influence the work of these international organizations by:

  1. urging industrialized countries to significantly speed up existing phase out dates for CFCs, HCFCs and methyl bromide, without utilizing global warming substitutes like HFCs;
  2. securing political and financial support for the further development production and promotion of not-in-kind alternatives both in induatrialized and developing countries;
  3. counteracting the weight and influence of the producing corporations within these international organizations by providing current information to the Parties regarding not-in-kind alternative technologies; and
  4. ensuring that developing countries are aware of the availability and the advantages of not-in-kind alternatives, as well as of the many disadvantages -especially for developing countries- of the chemical industry's "transitional" HCFC and HFC products;
  5. urging developing countries to forego their ten year period of grace for the use of ozone destroying substances (CFCs) in favour of environmentally safer technologies
With observer and intervening status at the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund and World Bank meetings, Greenpeace has gained acceptance for hydrocarbon technology in domestic refrigeration under the mandate of Fund. This means that developing countries wishing to phase out of CFC based industries now have the choice to apply for funding for projects utilising hydrocarbon technologies, instead of depending exclusively on the environmentally harmful, more expensive and Western controlled HCFC and HFC technologies.

Campaign in Industrialized Countries
Greenpeace continues to maintain pressure on national governments [jpg:16K] for effective national measures towards a ban on ozone destroying substances and the safe recovery and destruction of banked ozone destroying chemicals in existing systems. The pressure is maintained through public protests, non-violent direct actions, letter writing campaigns, written submissions and direct representations to government committees and officials.

The campaign also identifies and publicizes discrepancies between the phase out dates of various countries, on the premise that if an earlier phase out is possible in one industrialized country, then it should be possible in others.

Public Empowerment
Greenpeace empowers the public with scientific, technological and public safety [jpg:22K] information. The campaign urges individuals and groups to express their concerns to government and industry and to demand immediate action for the protection of the ozone layer.

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