SECTIONS Home Society SciTech Planet Cosmos SPECIAL Contents About

European Union to Phase Out Ozone Destroying Chemicals European Union environment ministers agreed on Dec 21, 1998 to phase out the production and use of chemicals which destroy the earth's protective ozone layer and crack down on illegal trade in these substances. By Reuters Start Date: 12/8/98 BRUSSELS -- European Union environment ministers agreed on December 21, 1998, to phase out the production and use of chemicals which destroy the earth's protective ozone layer and crack down on illegal trade in these substances. The new rules, which need the approval of the European Parliament before they can take effect, are slightly tougher than current international restrictions set down by the Montreal Protocol and have been sharply criticised by the European chemical industry. The rules foresee a ban across the 15-nation EU on sales of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and halons -- used in aerosols, fridges, foam insulation, air conditioning, fire extinguishers and solvents. Production of these substances was banned in the bloc in 1996 but they continue to be manufactured in the developing world and considerable quantities are still being imported into the EU from countries like China. Banning sales is designed to put a halt to the illegal trade in these substances. The rules also demand an end by 2005 to the production and sale of the pesticide methyl-bromide, mainly used in the southern EU states. Most countries in the bloc will have to withdraw 60 percent of stocks from the market by 2001 and 75 percent by 2003. Southern EU members will only have to cut sales by 50 and 70 percent in 2001 and 2003 respectively if they can prove there is no technically and economically feasible alternative to methyl-bromide. The new law bans the sale of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) from 2001 and their export to countries not party to the Montreal Protocol from 2004. Ministers said they would put pressure on other parties to the Protocol also to ban exports of HCFCs. Production of HCFCs will be frozen from 2000 to 2008 and phased out completely by 2025, except in a limited number of fire-fighting applications where HCFCs will be allowed to replace halons. HCFCs were originally seen as a good alternative to the more harmful CFCs until it was discovered that they also damaged the environment by contributing to global warming. The European chemical industry lobby CEFIC argued the cap on the production of HCFCs in Europe would not curb their use but simply lead to manufacture shifting to other countries, notably the United States. CEFIC said the best way to protect the ozone layer was to enforce the existing ban on trafficking in CFCs. The industry did not call for stricter controls on trade in HCFCs, even though it alleged a cap on HCFCs would "inevitably" lead to more illegal trade in these substances. [Disclaimer: This article is copyright (c) Reuters. The information contained in Reuters reports may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written permission from Reuters. This text is posted in the public interest.] Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security. Built by Frontier on a Macintosh on 6/17/00; 11:51:51 AM. Web Comments - Produced by Larry Lowe Served 1530 times since 12/8/98.

New Data Points to Reality of Climate Change Recent studies of atmospheric surface temperatures and ocean temperatures support the claim that global warming is occurring and will probably bring major climate changes in coming years. Greenhouse Effect May Boost Frequency of El Nino Global warming could lead to more frequent and violent El Nino weather patterns, according to a new study. Evidence of Ancient Asteroid Found Evidence suggests an asteroid hit Argentina 3.3 million years ago, causing regional extinctions and climate change. Forecasters See Severe Hurricane Season Ahead Meteorologists say the La Nina cold water condition in the Pacific is likely to produce higher than average hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Caribbean this year. Water Shortages Will Bring Strife in New Millennium Limited water supplies will be a major source of international tension in coming years. In March, 1999, Israel and Jordan almost came to blows over water; more trouble lies ahead. Humankind's Grave Impacts on the Natural World Human activity has altered almost 50 percent of the Earth's total land area and now threatens to cause the greatest extinction of species seen in the last 65 million years. Trees Grow Faster With More Carbon Dioxide If atmospheric CO2 increases as expected, trees will absorb more of the greenhouse gas and grow faster. But that can't prevent global warming, scientists say. Antarctic Summit on Fishing, Environment, Tourism Delegates from 24 nations met for the first time ever at Antarctica in January, 1999 to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the ice continent. La Nina Probably Contributed to Huge Tornadoes Cooler than normal ocean temperatures in the mid-Pacific, called La Nina, have caused many bizarre weather effects in North America, including record snow and monster tornadoes. Global Warming This Century Called Unprecedented A scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Dec 7, 1998, that global warming in this centruy is greater than at any time in the last 1,200 years, and human activity is partly to blame.