Without the global ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) we would already be facing the reality of a “scorched Earth”, according to international researchers measuring the impact of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. Introduced in September 1987 and since ratified by all 197 United Nations members, it targets 96 ozone-depleting chemicals in thousands of applications across more than 240 industrial sectors.
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New modelling by scientists from the UK, USA and New Zealand, published in the journal Nature, paints a dramatic vision of a scorched planet Earth without the Montreal Protocol, which they call the ‘World Avoided’. Their study draws a stark link between two major environmental concerns: the hole in the ozone layer and global warming.
The research team, led by Lancaster University’s Dr Paul Young, revealed that if ozone-destroying chemicals, which most notoriously include CFCs, had been left unchecked then their continued and increased use would have contributed to global air temperatures rising by an additional 2.5°C by the end of this century.
Their findings show that banning CFCs has protected the climate in two ways: curbing their greenhouse effect and, by protecting the ozone layer, shielding plants from damaging increases in ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Critically, this has protected plants’ ability to soak up and lock in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and so prevented a further acceleration of climate change.
Source: labonline.com.au