The Montreal Protocol established in 1987 is a main player in the successful story of helping the earth’s ozone layer minimize its depletion and begin to heal the damage that was done. The main mission was to spread awareness and launch global campaigns that would urge for the removal of the ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons found in your refrigerants from the atmosphere.
When the Montreal Protocol was enacted in 1987, a lot of nations signed an agreement to pull out or phase out the distribution and production of chemicals that are harmful to the ozone.
Paul Newman, the chief atmospheric chemist from the American Geophysical Union (AGU), reports with satisfaction that harmful ozone-damaging substances have declined since the Montreal Protocol was formed.
“We expect [these harmful substances] to continue to decline in the future,” adds Newman.
If people and companies continue to return or exchange their used and old refrigerants, then we hope to return to the same ozone health in the 1980s as soon as the year 2032.
What if there was no Montreal Protocol?
If the Montreal Protocol was not developed, scientists and NASA specialists predict that more than two-thirds of the earth’s ozone layer will have been damaged or destroyed by 2065.
It is also important to remember the following significant occurrences:
- The depletion of the ozone, which is the earth’s natural protection against harmful UV rays, will cause a lot of new health concerns for all life on earth. According to a UV Index, which is used to measure the intensity or strength of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, the amount of UV entering our immediate atmosphere would have increased three-fold.
- Too much UV rays in the sun can also cause most plant and crop life to wither and turn brittle and brown. You can only begin to imagine the extent of the tragedy and disaster this will bring to all living species, because a tremendous amount of food farms and processors will be severely affected.
- A heightened exposure to the glaring sun and to the invisible UV rays will also increase the chances for sunburn, skin or eye cancer, and other unpleasant and unshakeable health restrictions. This is why the wearing of sunblock and sunscreen is always advised.
In summary, a world without the Montreal Protocol will only escalate to the spread of disease and starvation. However, this occurrence is still not the worst of it. About 10%-30% of crops can be obliterated if the temperature becomes too hot. When this happens, we will all experience the drastic drop in nationwide food supply and distribution.
The Montreal Protocol has also decreased the prevalence of chlorine released to the stratosphere and the atmosphere. Bromine, another ozone-saving substance, has the capacity to decrease the total amount of chlorine released by CFCs and other refrigerant substances.
Nowadays, CFCs are being replaced by HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, which do not damage the ozone layer.
Through this information, we are able to draw the line that connects greenhouse gases with the ozone cover, and how they affect the temperature up in the stratosphere. It is therefore of utmost importance to help in the shift toward renewable and non-toxic chemicals.
It is just one step to get rid of harmful chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. Other ‘greenhouse gases’ such as methane and carbon dioxide will also play a role in determining the health and state of the ozone layer at this day and age.
The urgent need to get rid of refrigerants
To ensure that the Montreal Protocol’s advocacies will continue to be upheld, it is highly urged for everyone to return or exchange any piece of old and used CFCs or refrigerant chemicals with a trained and licensed team of experts.
Refrigerant Services LLC offers a complete range of refrigerant recovery, clean exchange and disposal services so your homes and workplaces will be CFC-free. Call 844-PURECFC (787-3232) to schedule a pick-up or ask more details about this exchange.
