December 8, 1995
149 Countries Reach Disastrous Agreement on Ozone Protection
(Vienna, December 8, 1995)--Environmental organizations from
around the world decried an agreement reached yesterday by
149 countries that failed to take urgently needed action on
methyl bromide, a highly toxic pesticide that depletes the
Earth's fragile ozone layer. Instead of taking leadership on
this global environmental issue, the United States was one of
a handful of countries that backed a shamefully weak
compromise that will increase ozone depletion for several
decades through continued use of methyl bromide.
Methyl bromide is a toxic gas used to treat soil and
agricultural commodities and is also a powerful destroyer of
the Earth's protective ozone shield. Scientists estimate that
methyl bromide is 50 times more destructive to the ozone
layer atom per atom than CFCs. According to a recent United
Nations report, eliminating use of this pesticide offers the
quickest and most efficient way to reduce future ozone loss.
In November, the UN reported that the hole in the earth's
protective ozone shield covered an area twice the size of
Europe at its seasonal peak in October, and grew at an
unprecedented rate in 1995.
"The U.S. is largely to blame for this damaging agreement,
since the Clinton Administration has once again caved in to
political pressure and failed to push its own proposal for a
rapid phaseout of methyl bromide," said Anne Schonfield,
Pesticide Action Network. "With an eye towards the 1996
elections, the White House has agreed to make the ozone hole
bigger in return for votes in large agricultural states like
Florida and California."
The UN Montreal Protocol on Substances the Deplete the Ozone
Layer concluded an agreement last night that will eliminate
methyl bromide in industrialized countries in 2010, preceded
by a 25% cut in 2001 and a 50% cut in 2005. Under the
agreement, developing countries will freeze methyl bromide
consumption in 2002. "Delayed action in developing countries
is a golden opportunity for methyl bromide producers to
vastly increase their international sales by dumping this
deadly pesticide there," said Corinna Gilfillan, Friends of
the Earth.
Several other countries blocked a rapid international
phaseout of methyl bromide. "The 'Stubborn Seven,' including
Spain, France, Japan and Kenya, should go down in history for
protecting pesticide manufacturers instead of the ozone
layer," said Corinna Gilfillan. "It's outrageous that a
handful of recalcitrant countries and pesticide producers
have stood in the way of a global commitment to get rid of
this toxic chemical," she said. Several producers of methyl
bromide, including Great Lakes Chemical and Albermarle of the
U.S. and Dead Sea Bromine of Israel, aggressively lobbied
countries at the international meeting not to phase out the
chemical.
Growing numbers of farmers all over the world are already
using innovative alternatives to methyl bromide. Many
countries, including the Netherlands, Austria, Indonesia and
Italy, have either eliminated their major use of methyl
bromide or are planning to do so by the year 2000. Under the
Clean Air Act, the U.S. is scheduled to phase out methyl
bromide by January 2001. "This weak international agreement
will only encourage those in Congress seeking to gut the
Clean Air Act and prevent the phaseout of methyl bromide in
the U.S." said Schonfield.
Methyl bromide is used around the world to grow strawberries,
tomatoes, tobacco, cut flowers and other crops. The U.S. is
the world's largest user, followed by Italy, Japan, Spain and
Israel. United Nations' scientists estimate that methyl
bromide is responsible for 5-10% of ozone depletion.
Increased ultraviolet radiation (UV) from ozone deletion is
linked to rising rates of skin cancer, eye cataracts leading
to blindness, and damage to key marine and agricultural
ecosystems.
Sources/Contacts: Monica Moore, PANNA (see below); Corinna
Gilfillan, Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW,
#300, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202) 783-7400; fax (202)
783-0444; email foedc@igc.apc.org
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