22 May 2008
CSD scientists David Fahey and John Daniel were part of an author team honored with one of the EPA's 2008 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards. The award ceremony was held on May 20 in Washington, D.C.
The paper "The importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting climate" was published in 2007 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The author team includes also Guus Velders (lead author; Netherlands), Stephen Andersen (EPA), and Mack McFarland (Dupont Fluoroproducts).
The authors show that the international Montreal Protocol agreement that protects the ozone layer has had an additional effect: the direct effect of the Protocol's emission reductions has delayed climate change by 7-12 years of rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In addition to this updated evaluation of the climate impact of the Montreal Protocol to date, the paper explores other ideas for reducing future uses of ODSs and assesses the potential associated climate benefits. The paper thus gives timely scientific information to inform current policy discussions related to climate change.
David Fahey was also honored with an individual award for his contributions to stratospheric ozone-layer research, his leadership in assessments of scientific understanding, and his work as lead author of the 2002 and 2006 documents on Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer that were part of the international assessments for the Montreal Protocol.
Background: The EPA's Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awards were established in 1990. The annual awards recognize outstanding contributions to the protection of the Earth's stratospheric ozone layer. Recipients have demonstrated originality and public purpose, persuasive moral and organizational leadership, and elimination of emissions of ozone-depleting substances. The awards are particularly prestigious because nominees compete globally against the notable accomplishments of many other potential winners, and winners are selected using previous winners as judges.
Significance: The paper honored with the team award contributes key climate information at the nexus of science and decision-making, and at a time of heightened attention on the topic. The United Nations Environment Programme also honored the authors of this paper in September 2007 with an award for the Best New Paper on a Montreal Protocol Related Topic in the Science Category, an award offered uniquely as a part of the celebrations associated with the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. David Fahey's individual award is a significant recognition of his many contributions to communicating important information between the scientific community and educators, students, the general public, and decision makers.