The ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, with the global phase out of ozone-depleting chemicals already benefitting efforts to mitigate climate change.
This is the conclusion of a UN-backed panel of experts, presented on Monday, January 9, at the American Meteorological Society’s 103rd annual meeting.
Examining novel technologies such as geoengineering for the first time, the panel warns of unintended impacts on the ozone layer.
The UN-backed Scientific Assessment Panel to the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances quadrennial assessment report, published every four years, confirms the phase out of nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances.
“That ozone recovery is on track according to the latest quadrennial report is fantastic news. The impact the Montreal Protocol has had on climate change mitigation cannot be overstressed. Over the last 35 years, the Protocol has become a true champion for the environment,” said Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Ozone Secretariat.
“The assessments and reviews undertaken by the Scientific Assessment Panel remain a vital component of the work of the Protocol that helps inform policy and decision makers,” he added.
If current policies remain in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values (before the appearance of the ozone hole) by around 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the Arctic and by 2040 for the rest of the world, the report stated.
Variations in the size of the Antarctic ozone hole, particularly between 2019 and 2021, were driven largely by meteorological conditions. Nevertheless, the Antarctic ozone hole has been slowly improving in area and depth since the year 2000.
The 10th edition of the Scientific Assessment Panel reaffirms the positive impact that the treaty has already had for the climate. An additional 2016 agreement, known as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, requires phase down of production and consumption of many hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs do not directly deplete ozone, but are powerful climate change gases. The Scientific Assessment Panel said this amendment is estimated to avoid 0.3–0.5°C of warming by 2100 (this does not include contributions from HFC-23 emissions).
“Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action. Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done – as a matter of urgency – to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases and so limit temperature increase,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.
The latest assessment has been made based on extensive studies, research and data compiled by a large international group of experts , including many from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Union.
Researchers warn against marine litter after picking 29,000 waste items along Araromi seaside.
Bottles, plastic bags and surgical facemasks are just some of the 29,029 items found along the 180km Araromi coastline Nigeria in nine months study.
The litter weighed in at a hefty 465.54kg, the researchers at the Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), Obafemi Awolowo University and Marine Litter Watch Nigeria, a student volunteering group said in a new research published on December 30,2022.
“Our study took place along the Araromi seaside in Ilaje, south-west Nigeria, between January and September 2021. A collaboration between researchers at it aimed to provide a baseline data about the area and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on marine litter monitoring and prevention.
“The study used the “clean coast index,” a science-based estimation tool used internationally, to assess the cleanliness of the beach. The beach was classified as dirty during the dry season and extremely dirty in the rainy season,” the researchers said.
The Centre for Energy Research and Development analyzed 29,029 beach litter items found at Araromi seaside.
Araromi is a coastal town in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State, south-west Nigeria. It covers an area of 3,000km² and lies 238km to the east of Nigeria’s most populous city, Lagos. There are over 82 fishing communities on the coastline as fishing and boat making are major sources of income for the Ilaje people.
They said the motivation for this study was to show that remote, less densely populated communities along the coast are not shielded from the impacts of marine litter.
As measured by the clean coast index, the beach was dirty during the dry season (7,358 litter items; 141.3kg) and extremely dirty in the rainy season (21,671 litter items; 324.24kg). This implies that rain is a major factor in transporting litter from inland to the marine environment through various waterways.
The items we found included glass, metals, plastic (beverage bottles, caps, disposable cups, cutlery), abandoned fishing gear, ropes and wooden canoes, fabrics, cigarette butts and medical waste (syringes, facemasks, hospital PPE, intravenous drip bottles and sanitary pads), among other litter.
Most of the items were household waste which was poorly disposed of. Some of it stemmed from recreational (tourist) and fishing activities (economic factors).
The researchers urge that they should be frequent and coordinated clean-up efforts by government, NGOs or volunteers.
“We saw none during our work at Araromi. There were no rubbish bins for beach goers to use. Coordinated efforts among the fishing communities could address the disposal of old and abandoned fishing gear,” they said.
The researchers also urge that government at various levels must create more awareness about the dangers of marine litter and the legal, policy and institutional frameworks that govern it. This would help local communities to understand that natural resources like beaches and lagoons are their heritage, and need to be protected.
They also charged manufacturers must be involved in monitoring and cleaning up their waste (extended producer responsibility, EPR). They also need to support awareness programs and sponsor clean-up activities.