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2009 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards

About the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award

CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT AWARDS

Hill PHOENIX, Inc.

Hill PHOENIX is at the forefront of environmental innovation in the commercial refrigeration industry. The company has a robust product development program, which has designed several new ozone-safe refrigeration technologies for supermarkets. They are founding partners in EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, and their contributions in terms of effort and energy to that Partnership have been essential to its success.

Traditional supermarket refrigeration technologies use HCFC-22, an ozone-depleting substance, and they consist of large refrigerant charge sizes (~ 4000 lbs.) and high refrigerant leak rates (~25 percent). These types of systems release large quantities of HCFC-22, which depletes the Earth’s ozone layer. Hill PHOENIX has designed several new refrigeration technologies that use no ozone-depleting substances and significantly reduce the potential for refrigerant emissions by reducing charge sizes and refrigerant leaks.

Hill PHOENIX has made significant inroads in the industry with its secondary loop technology, which uses a small primary refrigerant charge (usually less than 1000 lbs.) and a secondary fluid (food grade glycol) that circulates throughout the supermarket to chill perishable items. This special design greatly reduces refrigerant emissions, often to below five percent per year. The company’s latest development, the “compact chiller” system runs on just a few hundred pounds of non-ozone-depleting refrigerant. This new technology reduces the refrigerant charge in a supermarket by 95 percent, and it reduces refrigerant leaks to below one percent throughout the life of the equipment.

Kraft Foods Phaseout of Methyl Bromide

Kraft Foods, the world’s second-largest food company with a reach of over 150 countries, is transitioning away from using methyl bromide in its bakeries and grocery facilities into ozone-safe alternatives through multiple mechanisms, including: reducing the need for fumigations generally and moving to alternatives to methyl bromide, such as heat treatment, targeted spot treatments and sulfuryl fluoride, which are acceptable alternatives for methyl bromide fumigations.

Kraft Foods has significantly reduced the need for fumigations by investing in integrated pest management (IPM) techniques as well as making design modifications to building and equipment. IPM strategies include: enhanced sanitation, monitoring pest populations, facility and equipment design improvements, and improved spot treatment applications. The company has also improved the sealing of its facilities to make the buildings more airtight, which improves fumigations if and when needed. As a result of the hard work and capital investment by Kraft Foods, the company has transitioned its bakeries and grocery facilities away from methyl bromide and will be methyl bromide-free in 2010.

This is consistent with Kraft Foods' policy to reduce the environmental impact of its activities, preventing pollution and promoting the sustainability of the natural resources upon which it depends, while providing quality products that meet the needs of its consumers.

Arysta LifeScience North America LLC and Research Team

Arysta LifeScience LLC holds a worldwide license for the registration and commercialization of iodomethane (methyl iodide) as an agricultural soil fumigant. Iodomethane is the key ingredient in MIDAS®, a next-generation soil fumigant that is a drop-in alternative for some 85 percent of the current soil fumigation use of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting substance. MIDAS has been registered by the U.S. EPA for use in growing high-value crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.

In October 2007, EPA approved the registration of MIDAS as an alternative soil fumigant. As a result, EPA was able to reduce the critical use exemptions it granted for 2008 to account for the growing market uptake of MIDAS. Arysta has since 1998 devoted over $26 million to a full-scale research program, including U.S. and Australian field research trials, extensive toxicology studies and development of state-of-the-art pharmacokinetic and exposure models to support registration. These commitments and the efforts of dedicated agricultural researchers have allowed for a new drop-in replacement for methyl bromide in the soil fumigation market.

Team Members

ASSOCIATION AND TEAM AWARDS

Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics

Founded in 1985, Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) has served as an advocate for persons with asthma, allergies and related conditions and their families, and provided vital educational resources to assist them in managing their health. Asthma affects some 20 million Americans and is the leading serious chronic illness of children in the U.S.

As part of its mission, AANMA was instrumental in providing assistance to patients with asthma during the transition to ozone-safe albuterol metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). Under U.S. regulations, production and distribution of CFC-albuterol MDIs was prohibited after 2008. As a result, millions of asthma patients were transitioned from CFC-albuterol MDIs to alternative, ozone-safe albuterol MDIs. AANMA was the voice of the patient community, representing patient interests to pharmaceutical companies, medical care providers, the federal government, and policy makers. AANMA mobilized stakeholders to take action to assist patients to smoothly and successfully transition to alternative MDIs. AANMA developed and widely distributed essential educational tools for patients and their medical care providers to prepare them for the transition and ensure they had resources to make educated choices about their asthma medications. The organization created Smart Moves to an HFA Inhaler - a publication that provides information about ozone-safe albuterol MDIs - teaching patients and medical care providers about the differences between CFC and HFC-MDIs.

In 2001, AANMA launched Breatherville, USA, an interactive online resource for persons with asthma and allergies. AANMA’s Allergy & Asthma Today and the MA Report provide information on the latest allergy and asthma news, strategies to manage asthma and allergies, and product news. AANMA responds to patient questions and concerns, via email and toll-free help line. Each May, AANMA hosts Asthma Awareness Day to educate lawmakers about asthma and to raise awareness of the issues affecting people with asthma.

Centre for Environment Education

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in India has worked with the OzonAction Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1995 and has consistently provided technical assistance for the benefit of National Ozone Units, industry and other stakeholders in Article-5 countries; aligned with the targeted approach of UNEP’s Compliance Assistance Programme.

CEE developed an Educators’ Kit to help teachers and other environmental communicators create awareness about the science of depletion, impacts and management aspects worldwide to protect the ozone layer. A set of slides and a script help teachers and other communicators present information to audiences. An information supplement helped presenters with information to answer questions. Location-specific materials could be used to involve audiences through interactive learning.

CEE has played an important role in the development of the global and regional awareness strategies. A special information kit for news media specialists for targeted news inputs at the regional level was also developed with information on initiatives by countries to curb illegal trade on ODS, technical partnerships to use alternatives and a call for preventive action by all concerned stakeholders to avoid “backsliding.” CEE assisted the Ozone Cell, India develop the state-of-the-art report (2004), highlighting India’s efforts and vision for protecting the ozone layer.

CEE demonstrated the feasibility of using alternative solvents in several industrial applications through pilots addressing technical and institutional barriers in the process. CEE has also contributed significantly to the development of some important technical publications on efficient servicing and chemicals management and is presently assisting the development of phaseout management plans targeting hydrochlorofluorocarbons and the framework for collection and destruction of ODS at the regional level. These are directly related to climate change mitigation.

Nepali Times

The Nepali Times through Mr. Kunda Dixit, Chief Editor, has actively published articles about the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the phasing out of the ozone-depleting substances. The Times has gone out of its way to contribute to other publications and forums as well, including: the SHIELD booklet, the Guide for National Ozone Officers, Saving Our Sky, Calendar 2007, and a media workshop held in Bangkok.

The Nepali Times played a leadership role in producing the booklet SHIELD: South Asia's Compliance to the Montreal Protocol in conjunction with the South Asian Network of Ozone Officers and UNEP DTIE's OzonAction's regional Compliance Assistance Programme Team in Bangkok. This booklet is a major contribution by Nepal and a useful reference tool for all stakeholders dealing with the subject. Together with Mr. Sita Ram Joshi of the Department of Standards and Metrology of the Government of Nepal, The Times has been active in the South Asia Ozone Officers’ Network meeting and played a crucial role in the successful development of the regional awareness strategy and in publishing Saving Our Sky. The Times also contributed extensively to writing and printing the Guide for National Ozone Officers, which is a quick reference tool to help new and current Ozone Officers with comprehensive knowledge about the key subjects they need to know to ensure a successful phaseout of ODS in their countries. This booklet received the Montreal Protocol 20th anniversary award. Additionally, the Nepali Times took a lead role in the conceptualization and implementation of a media workshop for spokespeople from the Bangkok region in May 2006.

As a scientist-turned-journalist, Mr. Kunda Dixit, the Chief Editor of the Nepali Times, has been able to simplify the complex concepts of ozone depletion, alternatives, as well as the trade in ODS, into easy-to-understand language. Mr Dixit's book, Dateline Earth: Journalism As If The Earth Mattered is used in journalism schools as a guide for journalists on reporting on environmental issues.

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP)

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP) has actively supported the implementation of the Montreal Protocol by the small island countries in the Pacific region. These Pacific Island Countries (PICs) have unique social, economic and environmental characteristics, such as geographic isolation; small physical size; limited natural resources; small economies with low diversification; poorly-developed infrastructure and limited capacity; and paucity of human and financial resources. As a result, PICs are more vulnerable to environmental problems such as sea-level rising and salt water intrusion; waste and pollution; land and soil degradation; and deforestation. Hence, the issue of ozone layer protection and the Montreal Protocol is not a top priority.

In cooperation with Australia, New Zealand and the United Nations Environment Programme, SPREP has worked actively to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in the Pacific Island countries and through its efforts, a project for phasing out ODS consumption in this region is under implementation.

Through its technical and policy staff, SPREP has helped countries in the region develop policies and regulations to reduce dependence on ODS, adopt non-ODS alternatives and enhance regional cooperation for implementation of the Montreal Protocol. All PICs, except Tonga and Vanuatu, have established the licensing system to control the import and export of ODS.

The Regional Strategy has played a significant role in reducing or eliminating the consumption of CFCs across the region. The Strategy has raised awareness of CFCs and ozone depletion in governments, industries and communities. Training has been carried out in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors to promote recognition of CFCs and good handling practices.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Pieter J. Aucamp

As a member of the top management of the Department of National Health, Dr. Pieter Aucamp was instrumental in convincing the Minister of Health and the Cabinet to accede to both the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol in spite of nearly worldwide sanctions against the South African Government of the time. South Africa acceded to both agreements on 15 January 1990. Under difficult circumstances, he represented the South African Government at the Meeting of the Parties for both agreements until 1995.

Dr. Aucamp has always been very passionate about his profession and has demonstrated utmost commitment in his field, ultimately leading to the African group proposing him as a co-chair for the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) in 1992. He led the South African phaseout of CFCs with distinction and managed to convince the South African industry to phase out CFCs completely in 1995 on a voluntary basis along with the rest of the developed countries.

As co-chair of the SAP, he used his experience as a representative at the Meetings of the Parties to make the reports easily digestible for the non-scientists in the audience. He pioneered the question and answer sections in the Scientific Assessment to help delegates understand the bigger picture. When he left the Science Panel in 2002, he moved to the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel where he is an active member of the chapter on the effects of ultraviolet B radiation. After Dr. Aucamp left the government in 1995, he continued his work for the Panels. He is still active in the field and assists both the South African Government and local industry with phasing out the final ozone-depleting substances.

Janet F. Bornman

Professor Janet Bornman is actively engaged with the United Nations Environment Programme Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP), one of the three expert panels formed under the auspices of the Montreal Protocol. She was appointed to succeed Professor Manfred Tevini as co-chair of the EEAP when he stepped down in 2003. Before that time, Professor Bornman was an active member and Secretary of the Panel for more than a decade. Her service to the EEAP is of vital importance, as this Panel addresses the increase of ultraviolet (UV) irradiance on the Earth's surface and its effects on human health, animals, plants, biogeochemistry, air quality and materials.

Professor Bornman’s research expertise is in the field of plant photobiology and in particular the effects of UV radiation. Her interests originated in the ozone depletion events of the 1980s and continue with present-day concern for global climate change. More specifically, her research has centered on plant stress interactions in relation to environmental factors evolving from climate change and common agricultural practices. As co-Chair of the EEAP, she represents the Panel at the Open-Ended Working Group meetings and Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.

Christer Carling

Mr. Christer Carling has been a member of the Montreal Protocol’s Aerosols Technical Options Committee (ATOC), later renamed the Medical Technical Options Committee (MTOC), since 1992. He was recruited based on his expertise in inhaled pharmaceutical products and his background in technical and pharmaceutical development of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry powder inhaler (DPI) systems within the pharmaceutical industry. Committed to the protection of the ozone layer and mindful of the importance of medical inhalers as an important part of therapy for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, he has been an active and dedicated member of the ATOC/MTOC for 18 years.

Within the Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra (later AstraZeneca), Mr. Carling participated in, and during 10 years was the leader of, a team of scientists that developed a highly-effective DPI system, based on which a range of anti-asthma products replaced a substantial part of CFC MDIs in a number of European countries in a short period of time. The work driven by Mr. Carling has paved the way for a number of subsequent novel DPI systems which together have proven capable to replace a large number of CFC MDIs, particularly in Europe and Japan and lately also in the United States.

Since his retirement, he has also traveled to MTOC meetings at his own expense. His enthusiasm and leadership to progress the transition of CFC MDIs have made him a critical contributor to the success of the Montreal Protocol.

Samira de Gobert

Ms. Samira de Gobert is nominated for continued excellence at the United Nations Environment Programme's OzonAction branch over more than a decade, and particularly for going above and beyond the call of duty in creating the Montreal Protocol Who's Who, a labor of love that she first envisioned six years ago and pursued on her own time with the help of artists she recruited as volunteers. With a limited budget only for computer programming, she finally gained endorsement for her concept and launched the web-based MP Who's Who to fanfare at the 20th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Doha, Qatar. This new web portal honors the visionaries, innovators and implementers who are making the Montreal Protocol a global environmental success story.

At OzonAction, Ms. de Gobert actively contributes to raising awareness about ozone layer protection and implementation of the Montreal Protocol. Since 1998, she has provided the Parties and the media with information about the stratospheric ozone layer. She is well-known at UNEP Paris for institutional memory and networking. Deeply committed, she promotes the overall visibility of the Montreal Protocol and the Multilateral Fund achievements through innovative means. She created and started the electronic news service OzoNews to provide the latest news on the Montreal Protocol and the ozone layer to a large number of readers worldwide. She develops and distributes worldwide the RUMBA - Regular Update on Methyl Bromide Alternatives, and CliO3 - Climate and Ozone Update, which includes information on climate protection and the interlinkages between the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols.

Ms. de Gobert also manages the annual OzonAction Special Issue, and the OzonAction MultiMedia Collection (MMC), the world's most comprehensive collection of information sources on ozone protection and the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

Hideo Mori

The transition from CFC-based metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) to CFC-free alternatives has been a technically challenging issue for pharmaceutical companies. In 1989, 14 Japanese pharmaceutical companies, which manufacture and/or import CFC MDIs, organized a CFC Committee under the Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association of Japan (FPMAJ) to discuss ways to accomplish the phaseout of CFCs for MDIs. Mr. Mori, a member of the Montreal Protocol’s Medical Technical Options Committee since 1999, was the chairman of the FPMAJ’s CFC committee from 1997 to 2008 and led the CFC committee through this challenging period.

The committee and each member company exerted extensive efforts to develop CFC-free alternatives and introduce them to the market. All companies terminated both the production and import of CFC MDIs in 2004 and made the last shipment of CFC MDIs in 2005. This means that Japan was one of the first countries to accomplish the complete phaseout of CFC MDIs. Twenty two brands of CFC MDIs for the treatment of asthma and COPD in 1996 were substituted by 21 brands of CFC-free alternatives in 2005, without placing patients at risk because these alternatives covered the full range of phased-out CFC MDIs.

Simultaneously, the Japanese Government developed a national transition strategy in cooperation with the CFC Committee in 1998. Mr. Mori drafted and finalized the strategy by consulting with pharmaceutical companies and health authorities. The strategy he developed described the principles and the program of the transition. It was unique in that it included a clear timeline of “by 2005” and allowed for brand by brand alternatives by each company. The coordination by Mr. Mori was considered to be instrumental in Japan’s successful MDI transition. The Japanese strategy can be considered a model case for other countries now faced with the task of phasing out CFC MDIs.

Paul Newman

Dr. Paul Newman has provided both the United States and the international community with valuable scientific leadership in observations, modeling, and data analysis related to atmospheric processes and ozone depletion. Dr. Newman has been with NASA since 1990. He is now a senior-level atmospheric physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch.

Dr. Newman has been involved in NASA aircraft field missions since 1987, and has been project or platform scientist for 11 of those missions. These missions have provided crucial information for understanding ozone depletion. Dr. Newman is now the co-project scientist for the Global Hawk Pacific Mission (GloPac). NASA has recently acquired Global Hawk unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) from the military, and GloPac will be the first mission to use these UASs for scientific research.

Dr. Newman is directing work on understanding the chemistry and physics of the ozone layer. He has written over 124 peer-reviewed publications on stratospheric science and ozone depletion. His work in the 1980s involved documenting the Antarctic ozone hole and understanding its dynamics. His latest modeling work has shown that ozone-depleting substances would have destroyed two-thirds of the ozone layer by 2065 if they had not been regulated by the Montreal Protocol.

Dr. Newman has been a primary leader in the scientific assessments of stratospheric ozone depletion. These assessments provide the scientific basis for the regulation of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. He co-authored the WMO/UNEP 1988 ozone assessment chapter on temperature trends, co-authored the WMO 1994 ozone assessment chapter on mid-latitude ozone, and reviewed or contributed to the 1989, 1991, 1994, and 1998 WMO/UNEP assessments. Dr. Newman was the lead author on the polar ozone chapter for both the 2002 and 2006 WMO/UNEP assessments. In 2007, he was selected by the signatories to the Montreal Protocol as one of the co-chairs to the Scientific Assessment Panel.

Sokharavuth Pak

Cambodia was a relative latecomer to the Montreal Protocol family, having ratified in June 2001. At the time, Cambodia was a post-conflict country where many of the foundations for growth and development – physical, social, human and economic – had been shattered by civil war during the 1970s and 1980s and needed to be restored. Many parts of the country have only recently become accessible, as the security situation has eased.

Cambodia faced immediate challenges to complying with the Protocol. With its growing economy and the need for affordable goods and equipment, CFC consumption could increase significantly without adequate control. Cambodia began to receive assistance in December 2003, leaving the country only one year in 2004 to implement activities and reduce its consumption to meet a 50-percent reduction of CFCs in 2005.

Under the strong effort and leadership of Mr. Sokharavuth Pak, the National Ozone Officer, Cambodia was able to overcome the challenges and continue to meet the obligations of the Protocol. His major achievements include playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the Sub-Decree on Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances in March 2005, which allows Cambodia to control the import of ODS to be within the prescribed limits under the Protocol. Mr. Pak also led the National Ozone Unit in the development and implementation of the Country Programme and Refrigerant Management Plan according to project schedule. His efforts have contributed to improved capacity of customs officers to enforce the control of ODS import and export and improved servicing practices by refrigeration technicians in Cambodia. At present, he is leading the effort to achieve the phaseout deadlines for 2010 and 2015. Mr. Pak’s extraordinary contributions and leadership have enabled Cambodia to reduce its consumption from 94 ODP tons in 2002 to 12 ODP tons in 2007.

Alessandro Giuliano Peru

Mr. Alessandro Peru joined the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Territory in Rome as a technical expert in 2000. He has promoted private-public sector dialogue to encourage support for Italian legislation that contained requirements for an earlier phaseout of ODS than required under the Montreal Protocol. To this end, he assisted the Ministry of the Environment to reach agreement with Italian companies and the Ministry of Industries that ensured significant and permanent reductions in the consumption of halons, CFCs and HCFCs.

Mr. Peru developed procedures to commit enterprises and organizations to a voluntary pledge to recover, reclaim, recycle and destroy ODS. The information was stored in a national electronic database which also allowed policy makers to monitor annual reductions in ODS. As a result of this strategy and over the five-year period from 2002 to 2007, about 10 percent of the CFCs installed in Italy were destroyed on average per year, about 12 percent of the installed halons were destroyed on average per year, and 8 percent of the HCFCs were destroyed on average per year. This innovative strategy has been one of the successful measures in the EU for tracking and eliminating ODS and significantly helped Italy to achieve national targets for ODS reduction. Moreover, this strategy has helped to prevent installed ODS leaking from equipment over time and destroying the ozone layer. Mr. Peru has extensively communicated with various audiences all over Italy to facilitate understanding of the importance of phasing out ozone-depleting substances, including through the newsletter Cueim ambiente informa. This newsletter provides articles, advice and steps that should be taken to avoid further use of ODS to Italian stakeholders. Newsletter readers have commented that it provides useful information on the status of the phase out in Europe and elsewhere.

Phyllis Putter

Phyllis Putter (1931-2009) had tremendous passion for protecting the environment, especially for protecting the ozone layer. She served as the CFC Coordinator for EPA’s Region 6 office, covering Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. During the early 1990s, Mrs. Putter was a pioneer in developing enforcement and compliance assistance programs that benefited both the United States and the global community. She was the driving force behind the development of the world's first instructional video on illegal imports of ozone-depleting substances. The video was distributed to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents as well as EPA investigators and used in training workshops, first within Region 6 and then across the U.S. Later, the training program served as a model for programs developed by other countries and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Mrs. Putter worked on a number of enforcement cases during her tenure. Her active and creative leadership forged serious inroads for the nascent program. Her leadership in investigating extremely high leak rates in large, commercial bakeries resulted in a landmark case with the heaviest civil penalty under U.S. domestic ozone layer requirements. In many ways, she helped make various industry sectors – such as the food service industry – aware of the importance of reducing emissions.

Mrs. Putter shared her useful insights with enforcement and compliance colleagues from EPA’s regional offices and headquarters. At annual national enforcement conferences, she could be counted on to relay her findings and ask meaningful questions of others – always pushing everyone to do more for ozone layer recovery.

Dan Reifsnyder

Dan Reifsnyder has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science since August 2006. He is responsible for a broad suite of issues related to environmental protection and conservation, including but not limited to: protection of the stratospheric ozone layer, international chemicals management, transboundary air quality, and environmental aspects of free trade agreements. In these and several other areas, he led the U.S. delegations under multiple bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements.

Mr. Reifsnyder served as the Head of the U.S. Delegation for the Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. It was in this capacity that he played a significant role in negotiating the 2007 Montreal Protocol Adjustment. Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, has referred to the 2007 Adjustment as "… perhaps the most important breakthrough in an international environment negotiation process for at least five or six years.” During the 19th Meeting of the Parties in Montreal in September of 2007, the Parties agreed to more aggressively phase out ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons. The final agreement resulted from discussion of six proposals submitted by governments from both developed and developing countries - Argentina and Brazil; Norway, Iceland and Switzerland; the United States; Mauritania; Mauritius; and the Federated States of Micronesia. Mr. Reifsnyder’s personal commitment and stewardship both in developing the U.S. proposal and in MOP-19 was vital to the overall success of agreement.

The agreement to adjust the phaseout schedule for HCFCs is expected to reduce emissions of HCFCs to the atmosphere by 47 percent, compared to the prior commitments under the treaty over the 30-year period of 2010 to 2040.

Shonda Schilling

Shonda Schilling founded the SHADE Foundation of America in 2002 after a successful battle with melanoma. She is the President of this non-profit organization, which has become a pioneer in skin cancer prevention education for the U.S. public. The Foundation’s mission of eradicating melanoma through education and the promotion of sun safety is critical while we are living under a compromised ozone layer that allows increased ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth’s surface. Given that skin cancer is more common in the U.S. than breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers combined, and that one person dies every hour from this disease, her work is vitally important to the health and well-being of people in communities across the nation.

Mrs. Schilling’s personal commitment to the cause is inspirational in many ways. She has run the Boston Marathon three times to raise money for the Foundation. Some of the money raised helped fund shade structures to protect children from sun overexposure. She worked to get legislation passed in Arizona that requires the teaching of sun safety and ozone layer protection lessons to all public elementary and middle schools in Arizona. She makes numerous personal appearances each year, including teaching SunWise lessons to children, to spread the messages about the importance of skin cancer prevention. She hosts a skin cancer self-exam DVD that is available at no charge at the SHADE Foundation’s Web site. Due to her fundraising efforts, SHADE has provided over 20 million hours of shade cover to over 80,000 students. Her organization sponsors a sun safety poster contest that has received over 75,000 posters. Through these efforts and more, Shonda Schilling is literally saving lives.

Manfred Tevini

Professor Manfred Tevini was actively engaged with the United Nations Environment Programme Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP), one of the three expert panels within the Montreal Protocol. The EEAP addresses the increase of ultraviolet irradiance on the Earth's surface and its effects on human health, animals, plants, biogeochemistry, air quality and materials. He was co-chair of the EEAP for about 15 years, until his health made continuation impossible.

In 1973, he was a professor of Botany at the University of Karlsruhe where he led an ecology group for over 20 years. His research focus was on lipid physiology, photobiology, and the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on plants due to ozone layer depletion. Numerous experts in this field gave their reviews of the issue in the book titled UV-B Radiation and Ozone Depletion edited by Professor Tevini and published in 1993. He and Dr. D.P. Häder also published the textbook General Photobiology in Germany and in the U.S.

For several years Professor Tevini was Dean of the Faculty of bio- and geo-sciences in the University of Karlsruhe, Associate Editor of the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology and expert reviewer and consultant in many scientific research panels.

Professor Tevini served as a Co-chair of UNEP’s EEAP since its inception and he won the UNEP Global Ozone award in 1995. Since 1990, he has been Vice-president of the German Academy for Photobiology and Phototechnology. In 2002, he retired, but is still active in several research programs dealing with environment and health.

Adyasuren Tsokhio

Professor Adyasuren Tsokhio has been working in the environmental field for 32 years, devoting his skills and experiences to making policy and managing and conducting research and surveys on the nature and environment of Mongolia. He worked as director of the department at the Ministry of Nature and Environment in the 1990s and later was promoted to Minister of Nature and Environment.

From 1999 to present, Professor Tsokhio has worked as the Director of the National Ozone Unit of Mongolia. He was involved in developing a country programme on ozone layer protection in 1998-1999 and developed the ODS license system regulation, which was approved by the Government of Mongolia that year. During the past 9 years, Mongolia has been in compliance with ODS phaseout control measures and all other reporting requirements under the Protocol. In 1999, the importation and consumption of ODS was 21.2 tons. Through the efforts and good management of Professor Tsokhio, Mongolia’s consumption went down to 1.0 ton in 2007, a reduction of more than 90 percent. “The Professor,” as he is called by network countries, has led several projects to train more than 1000 customs officers and 600 refrigeration technicians, written several publications about ozone layer protection and ODS phaseout, and conducted many lectures on ozone layer protection for several thousands of students in Mongolia and abroad.

You Yizhong

Dr. You Yizhong is the Chief Pharmacist and the Associate Chief Physician of The Changzhou 1st People’s Hospital, China; Chief Editor of the Journal of Aerosol Communication; and Director of the Aerosol Committee of China Packaging Federation. He has been an active member of the Montreal Protocol’s Medical Technical Options Committee since 1997.

Since 1990, Dr. Yizhong has devoted his efforts to the promotion of the development of CFC phaseout in the aerosol sector in China. He has personally sponsored about 10 workshops and seminars concerning aerosol CFC substitution. Dr. Yizhong actively participated in the drafting and revision work of the China Country Program of CFC phaseout and also joined in the preparation of preventive measures to address safety issues associated with post-CFC substitution that the aerosol sector faced. He made important contributions to the settlement of the safety issues that resulted in the aerosol sector CFC phase-out being accomplished in China in the year 1997. As the biggest CFC-consuming developing country, China’s fulfillment of these Montreal Protocol obligations has broader significance among Article 5 countries.

As a pharmaceutical worker, Dr. Yizhong showed great concern for the CFC substitution of medical aerosols, including metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and Chinese traditional medical aerosols. He also worked hard to publicize and promote ozone layer protection and public health with government officials, medical doctors, pharmacists, and patients. Dr. Yizhong actively participates in the MTOC and after each international activity, he disseminates his own report and publicizes it in order to introduce the newest international developments about CFC substitution to concerned sectors.

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