Deal reached on cutting ozone-damaging emissions - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Deal reached on cutting ozone-damaging emissions
Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:35am EDT

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Delegates from almost 200 countries
agreed late on Friday to eliminate ozone-depleting substances
faster than originally planned, the United Nations said.

The agreement was reached at a conference in Montreal to
mark the 20th anniversary of the Montreal protocol, which
was designed to cut chemicals found to harm the ozone layer.
The layer protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation.

The United States -- backed by the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) -- had urged delegates to move the deadline
for phasing out production and use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons
(HCFC) for developed countries to 2020 from 2030 and to 2030
from 2040 for developing nations.

"A deal which UNEP believes is historic has been reached on
the accelerated freezing and phase-out of HCFCs," said UNEP
spokesman Nick Nuttall.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2142304520070922

[razzleberry]

1. the social security system is saved

how many sick geezers going to make it without
A/C and refrigerators?

I can think of other benefits, such as,
large parts of the middle east becoming uninhabitable,
reducing war.

................................................
does anyone have a link for nore info,
beyond the story. Yahoo search, nothing

what is exactly banned?

[jpak]

3. Gee - where does it say that this agreement will eliminate A/C and freezers for old folks??

I know - nowhere.

This is the same lame unfounded nonsense that the RW leveled against the original Montreal Protocol in 1988.

The sky did not fall then and it will not now.

nice try though...

[razzleberry]

4. your suggestions for replacements are ...

[jpak]

5. These...

http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/snap/refrigerants/lists/homeac.html

any other questions???

[razzleberry]

7. another question. what was banned?

please be specific

[razzleberry]

6. what exactly was banned?

every gas with chlorine.
or not

PLEASE be as specific as you can

[GliderGuider]

2. "That's one small step for mankind..."

This is excellent news indeed. Any progress is welcome at this point.

[razzleberry]

8. get rid of all HFC, or just certain types? .n/t.

[GliderGuider]

9. Google is your friend.

From http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-groups/one-list.tcl?short_list_name=ods

A chemical's Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) formed the primary basis for inclusion on the list, although the final list was a product of international negotiation. ODP is defined as the ratio of calculated ozone column change for each mass unit of a gas emitted into the atmosphere relative to the calculated depletion for the reference gas CFC-11 (ODP = 1.0).

The Montreal Protocol divides ozone depleting substances into a variety of lists of chemicals that are subject to different control requirements. Countries that sign the treaty commit to
1) stop consumption or production of chemicals on Group 1 of Annex A after January 1, 1996 (CFC 11, CFC 12, CFC 113, CFC 114, and CFC 115).
2) stop consumption or production of chemicals on Group 2 of Annex A after January 1, 1994 (Halon 1211, Halon 1301, and Halon 2402.)
3) stop consumption or production of chemicals on Groups 1, 2 and 3 of Annex B after January 1, 1996 (CFC 13, CFC 111, CFC 112, CFC 211, CFC 212, CFC 213, CFC 214, CFC 215, CFC 216, CFC 217, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane)
4) reduce consumption or production of hydrochlorofluorocarbons listed in Group 1 of Annex C to 1989 levels
5) reduce consumption or production of methyl bromide to 75% of 1991 levels beginning in 1999.

EPA has issued regulations issued under sections 601-607 of the Clean Air Act to implement the Montreal Protocol and phase out the production of several ozone-depleting substances. EPA utilizes a different classification system for identifying chemicals for regulatory controls, dividing the universe of substances covered by the Montreal Protocol into Class I and Class II ozone depleting substances.
More on EPA regulations for phasing out Class I ozone depleting substances.
More on EPA's regulations for controlling all ozone depleting substances.

Note that while the Montreal Protocol mandates an end to the production and consumption of the major CFCs, halons, hydrobromofluorocarbons and methyl bromide by 1996, there continue to be substantial releases of some of these substances in the U.S. (based on industry reports to TRI). Implementation of the Montreal Protocol is dependent on national regulation, and in the U.S. the EPA has focused on eliminating production of Class I ozone depleting substances by the treaty's phase-out dates. Use of previously produced stocks of ozone depleting substances was not banned as of January 1, 1996, and releases to the atmosphere continue. Facilities reporting releases of Class I ozone depleting substances may have been legally using previously produced stocks or operating under essential use exemptions, or they may have been operating illegally. EPA is currently actively enforcing the CAA restrictions on uses of ozone depleting chemicals.

Is that specific enough for you?

[razzleberry]

10. NO, what you post seems to be concerned with CFC ..

the OP seems concerned with hcfc

[GliderGuider]

11. Well, the report from Montreal should be on the wires in an hour or two

They've promised details then, and I would assume the chemicals covered by the acceleration will be specified then.

Patience, grasshopper.

[GliderGuider]

12. Here's the State Department announcement on the agreement:

Accelerated Phase-Out of Ozone-Depleting HCFCs

Following a proposal and strong endorsement by the United States, the 191 Parties to the Montreal Protocol reached an historic agreement to accelerate efforts to ensure recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer at a meeting in Montreal that concluded Friday, September 21, 2007. The Parties agreed to speed up by a decade the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). HCFCs were originally considered transition chemicals used as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) because they deplete the ozone layer less. The agreement also holds the promise of substantial benefits for the climate system as it will spur development of new alternatives to HCFCs that have low or no global warming affect.

Specifically, the Montreal Protocol Parties agreed:

* That developing countries will push forward setting their baseline for production and consumption of HCFCs from 2015 to 2009-2010.
* That developing countries will also freeze production and consumption of HCFCs in 2013 instead of 2016.
* That developed countries will phase out production of HCFCs by 2020.
* That developed countries will reduce HCFC consumption by 75% in 2010, 90% in 2015 with a phase out in 2020.
* That developing countries will reduce their HCFC production and consumption by 10% in 2015, by 35% in 2020, by 67.5% in 2025 with a phase-out in 2030.
* The overall effect of these measures will be to reduce potential emissions of ozone damaging chemicals by approximately 47% from business as usual.
* With this agreement, the world will avoid emitting nearly one million tons of ozone depleting chemicals into the atmosphere.
* Assuming the adoption of substitute refrigerants that are commercially available today, with this agreement, the world will avoid nearly 3,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions into the atmosphere.
* If countries transition to new refrigerants not yet invented that have no global warming impact, this agreement will enable the world to avoid as much as 16,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions into the atmosphere.

As part of this historic agreement, Montreal Protocol Parties also agreed that funding for developing countries from the Protocol’s Multilateral Fund will be stable and sufficient to enable them to comply with the accelerated phase out.