Ozone Day, 2007: 
20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol

Twenty years ago, on 16 September 1987, a group of countries signed the Montreal Protocol in a pivotal step towards protecting stratospheric ozone.  According to the United Nations General Assembly, each 16 September is "International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer."  To commemorate this special Ozone Day, below we provide links to a selection of related online material.

Information on the Montreal Protocol

United Nations Environment Program, Ozone Secretariat.  Includes:

• The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (as agreed in 1987).
• Brief primer on the Montreal Protocol [PDF].  Document (undated, circa July 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme.
• Key achievements of the Montreal Protocol to date [PDF]. Document (undated, circa May 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme.

Events & Publications Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol 19th Meeting of the Parties September 12-21, 2007.  Site maintained by Environment Canada, host of the meeting.

Ozone Depletion: From its Discovery to Envisat and Aura.  Symposium in Athens, Greece, 23-26 September 2007. "At the invitation of UNEP, WMO, EESC, IO3C, the Academy of Athens, the Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens and the National Observatory of Athens, a core group of speakers who have played an important role in the success of the Montreal Protocol from its very beginning, will gather together in Athens, between 23-26 September 2007, to present state of the art scientific results and discuss the success of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol."

International Ozone Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2007. Page hosted by the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, OzonAction Branch.

UNEP Secretariat 20th Anniversary Information Kit.  Includes:

• Achievements in Stratospheric Ozone Protection - Progress Report 1987 - 2007 [PDF].  Document (undated, circa April 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme, developed from a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: A Success in the Making [PDF].  Document (undated, circa August 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme.
• Continuing and future challenges facing the ozone layer protection effort [PDF]. One-page document (undated, circa May 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme.
• Some ideas for stories on Montreal Protocol related matters [PDF]. One-page document (undated, circa May 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme.
• Other documents.

Scientific Research Related to Ozone Depletion and its Consequences

U.S. Government Agencies

U.S. Climate Change Science Program

Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.4: Trends in emissions of ozone-depleting substances, ozone layer recovery, and implications for ultraviolet radiation exposure.  Report in progress.  Final document will be published in 2008.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

191 Countries Work Together to Heal the Ozone Layer.  Press release (dtd 13 Sep 2007) from the EPA.

Achievements in Stratospheric Ozone Protection.  Publication (dtd 26 April 2007) from EPA.

Additional information is available from EPA's Ozone Depletion Web site, including:

• 1987-2007:  The 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. 
• The Science of Ozone Depletion.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Ozone Hole Watch. Includes:

• Historical Ozone Maps
• Meteorology
• Ozone Facts
• Multimedia
• Education

Goddard Space Flight Center:

• Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer
• Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura satellite mission. 

Recent postings:

• NASA Keeps Eye On Ozone Layer Amid Montreal Protocol's Success.  Press release (dtd 13 Sep 2007) from NASA.
• R.I.P. TOMS: NASA Ozone Instrument Laid to Rest After Three Decades. Press release (dtd 15 Aug 2007) from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• New Clues to Ozone Depletion. Media alert (26 July 2007) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• NASA Airborne Expedition Chases Climate, Ozone Questions. Press release (June 27, 2007) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• Ozone Hole Reaches Record Size.  "New Images" posting (undated, circa October 2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• NASA Observes the Antarctic Ozone Hole. "New Images" posting (undated, circa 30 Sep 2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• NASA and NOAA Announce Ozone Hole is a Double Record Breaker .  Press release (dtd 19 October 2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• Winds Trigger Increases In Ozone Destroying Gases in Upper Stratosphere.  Press release (dtd 28 Sep 2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• As ozone hole approaches annual peak, NASA scientists reveal latest information and images. Press release (28 Sep 2006) from NASA. "As the Antarctic ozone hole approaches its annual peak, NASA scientists are using the latest tools to determine what effect the ban on CFCs and related chemicals has had and how long we will have to wait for a full ozone layer recovery."
• NASA Sees Ozone Hole Approach Annual Peak Press release (28 Sep 2006) from NASA
• NASA, NOAA Data Indicate Ozone Layer is Recovering . Press release (dtd 30 August 2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• Scientists Find Antarctic Ozone Hole to Recover Later than Expected . Press release (dtd 29 June2006) from NASA's Earth Observatory.
• NASA Study Finds Clock Ticking Slower On Ozone Hole Recovery . Press release (29 June 2006) from NASA.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Earth Systems Research Laboratory

• Chemical Sciences Division
  • International Ozone Layer Assessments
  • Stratospheric Ozone Layer
• Global Monitoring Division
  • Ozone Depletion
  • Data Visualization > South Pole Ozone Hole

National Weather Service, Climate Prediction Center, Stratosphere Home

Recent Postings:

• NOAA Observes 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. NOAA Magazine article (dtd 16 Sep 2007).  (link posted 17 Sep 2007).
• 2007 Antarctic Ozone Hole off to a Robust Start Over South Pole. Story (dtd 11 Sep 2007) from NOAA' s Global Monitoring Division.
• NOAA Scientists on Tap for Honors, Events at Montreal Protocol 20th Anniversary. Press release (4 Sep 2007) from Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. (link posted 17 Sep 2007)
• NOAA Scientists to Search Tropical Skies for Answers on Climate Change, Ozone Loss. Article (dtd 26 June 2007) from NOAA Magazine Online.
• Twenty Year Anniversary of the Discovery of the Cause of the Antarctic Ozone Hole. Article (15 Sep 2006) from NOAA Magazine Online.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Chemical Cause of Antarctic Ozone Hole Discovered 20 Years Ago this Month.  Press release (22 Aug 2006) from NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP).

Department of State

Global Response to Ozone Hole Is "Unprecedented" Success. Press release (24 aug 2006) from U.S. Department of State.

United Nations

Ozone Depletion Assessments

• Report of the 2006 Assessment of the Scientific Assessment Panel. Report (dtd February 2007) from the World Meteorological Organization.   Includes Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer: 2006 Update. 
• 2006 Assessment Report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel [PDF].  Report (dtd March 2007) from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Environmental Effects of Ozone Depletion and its Interactions with Climate Change: 2006 Assessment [PDF].  Report (dtd December 2006) prepared by the Secretariat for The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Includes Frequently Asked Questions. See also:
  • Background Information [PDF] (dtd 18 Aug 2006)
  • Press release [MS Word] (dtd 18 Aug 2006)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) of the Montreal Protocol

Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System: Issues Related to Hydrofluorocarbons and Perfluorocarbons. Summary for Policymakers and Technical Summary.  Report (dtd 2005) from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) of the Montreal Protocol.  Available free from the GCRIO Online Catalog.

Other

Ozone Protection.  Site maintained by Australia's Department of the Environment and Water Rersources.

New clues to ozone depletion. Press release (dtd 26 July 2007) from University of Leeds. "Large quantities of ozone-depleting chemicals have been discovered in the Antarctic atmosphere by researchers from the University of Leeds, the University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey."

University of Colorado readies for NASA climate change, ozone mission in tropics. Press release (dtd 27 June 2007) from Univ of Colorado, Boulder. "A high-flying NASA mission over Costa Rica and Panama in July and August should help scientists better understand how tropical storms influence global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion, says a University of Colorado at Boulder professor who is one of two mission scientists for the massive field campaign. "

Record ozone loss during 2006 over South Pole. Press release (dtd 2 Oct 2006) from European Space Agency (ESA).  "Ozone measurements made by ESA’s Envisat satellite have revealed the ozone loss of 40 million tonnes on 2 October 2006 has exceeded the record ozone loss of about 39 million tonnes for 2000."

Atmospheric ozone recovering in mid-latitudes, report shows . Press release (dtd 30 Aug 2006) from Georgia Institute of Technology. "Concentrations of atmospheric ozone -- which protects Earth from the sun's ultraviolet radiation -- are showing signs of recovery in the most important regions of the stratosphere above the mid-latitudes in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, a new study shows. The study is the first to document a difference among stratospheric regions in ozone-level improvement and to establish a cause-and-effect relationship based on direct measurements by multiple satellite and ground-based, ozone-monitoring systems."