The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement that aims to completely phase-out chemicals that can, have and continue to destroy the Earth's ozone layer. The ozone layer is a protective barrier in the upper atmosphere that protects the Earth from UVB radiation (which can cause skin cancer and damage to crops among other problems). Halons and CFCs are two major classes of compounds that the Montreal Protocol aims to eliminate from use. The elimination of these chemicals will slow down the destruction of the ozone layer and, in time, reverse the trend.
Many people will be surprised to hear that the job on ozone protection is still not finished - only with full compliance can we expect to see the ozone layer recovery in 2050. Government from around the world will meet in Montreal on 3-6 July 2006 to assess action and additional measures for ozone layer protection and to plan for the Meeting of the Parties in fall 2006. There is no signal yet from Prime Minister Harper or his Environment Minister Rona Ambrose on their commitment to the Montreal Protocol. It's no time to backslide on commitments to save the ozone layer.
Have your say, tell Environment Minister Ambrose and Prime Minister Harper how you feel about the ozone layer.
The Provinces of British Columbia(06/2004), Quebec(01/2005), Saskatchewan(11/05), Manitoba(12/2006) and most recently Ontario(06/2006) for regulating the largest remaining use of CFCs in Canada including their collection and responsible disposal.
When will Alberta, PEI, and Newfoundland require responsible disposal of CFCs?
When will New Brunswick and Nova Scotia pass their regulations to require stewardship of CFCs?
When will the Canadian government require the fire protection industry to collect and responsibly dispose of halon?
HRAI member companies and thousands of certified trades people have anticipated regulations to capture, return and responsibly destroy CFCs through the EcoLogo-certified Refrigerant Management Canada program (RMC). The RMC program is an industry-led model of extended user responsibility designed to meet the objective of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to minimize and avoid the ultimate release of ozone-depleting substances to the environment.