Article Summary –
In May 1985, a report was published in Nature journal indicating the depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica due to the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). This discovery led to the Montreal Protocol in 1987, an agreement signed by dozens of nations to significantly reduce CFCs, which was spearheaded by Richard E. Benedick, the chief US negotiator. This agreement is seen as a milestone of collective action against an environmental threat and has resulted in the ozone hole above Antarctica expected to heal by the 2060s.
In 1985, alarm bells rang when a colossal hole in the ozone layer was identified in Antarctica by a report published in the journal Nature
The observations verified scientists’ warnings from the 1970s that atmospheric ozone was being depleted due to the widespread use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol sprays, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems.
Two years later, numerous nations agreed to drastically curtail CFC emissions in a pact known as the Montreal Protocol
The Environmental Protection Agency estimated this would prevent 27 million skin cancer deaths. Richard E. Benedick, the U.S. chief negotiator, hailed it as “the most historically significant international environmental agreement.”
The Montreal Protocol signified collective global action to avert an environmental catastrophe
It was signed in 1987 during the term of Ronald Reagan, despite his reputation as a business champion and averse to government regulations. This was possible due to the less partisan nature of environmental issues at the time and the U.S. industry’s preference for an international treaty over harsher prohibitions from Congress.
Gaining support for the treaty wasn’t easy, and Benedick’s tenacity played a significant role
Opposition came from the interior secretary and the White House science advisor. Other foreign countries, including Japan, the Soviet Union, and the European bloc, also opposed the agreement, arguing that the link between CFCs and ozone depletion wasn’t proven.
Eventually, President Reagan sided with Benedick and the State Department, overruling the anti-regulatory faction in his administration
The Montreal Protocol required a 50% reduction in CFC usage and was signed by 24 countries in 1987. It was unanimously ratified by the U.S. Senate the following year and was later amended to phase out CFCs entirely. Concentrations of ozone-depleting chemicals in the stratosphere have been decreasing with the Antarctic ozone hole expected to heal by the 2060s.
Richard Elliott Benedick, born in 1935, was a key player in the success of the Montreal Protocol
His career in diplomacy included economic development roles in Iran, Pakistan, France, and Germany. Benedick was instrumental in cementing the Montreal Protocol as a milestone in environmental diplomacy and argued that a similar approach should be taken to address global warming.
While Benedick wasn’t a scientist, he had a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors
His daughter recalled his love for taking family trips to national parks, planning cross-country trips from coast to coast to experience the beauty of nature first-hand.
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