Two NOAA Scientists Earn Vienna Convention Award
October 31, 2005Dan Albritton and Susan Solomon, of the Chemical Sciences Division of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, have been recognized with the United Nations Environment Programme/World Meteorological Organization (UNEP/WMO) Vienna Convention Award. The award is being presented as part of the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. The Vienna Convention Awards were announced September 21 and will be distributed at the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Dakar, Senegal in December.
Background and Significance
The Award recognizes 15 international scientists for their contributions for the protection of the ozone layer. Albritton and Solomon were among 5 U.S. scientists who received the honor. Albritton's contributions have spanned the full extent of the Vienna Convention's 20-year history. He serves as one of the three international Cochairs of the Scientific Assessment Panel, which periodically assesses the state of scientific understanding regarding the ozone layer. Solomon has led scientific expeditions to both the Antarctic and Arctic to investigate polar ozone depletion, and her research identified the cause of the Antarctic ozone hole.
The 1985 Vienna Convention led to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Over 180 nations, including the U.S., are Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Through the Protocol and its subsequent Amendments and Adjustments, the production and use of ozone-depleting substances has plummeted worldwide.
More Information
Contact
Christine.A.Ennis@noaa.gov