International ozone agreementIn 1985, the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted and opened for signature. It entered into force on 22 Sep 1988 and established that secretariat functions would be carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme. Control of ozone-depleting substances was needed because ecological and health damage results from a depleted ozone layer due to more UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Results include increased rates of skin cancers and eye cataracts, reduced plant and fishing yields from adverse effects on terrestrial and ocean ecosystems, weakened immune systems, and more damage to plastics. The subsequent Montreal Protocol established specific limits to production «[Image: the largest ozone hole ever recorded, Sep 2000, exposed all the Antarctic and reached the southern tip of Argentina.] |
