Ozone hole
discoverer issues another global warning
TV 3 New Zealand-January 27 2008-Jonathan
Shanklin was one of a group of scientists who helped bring about the Montreal
Protocol – the international agreement on ozone control.
However, he says the world is still not
moving fast enough.
On the Antarctic coastline where the ozone
hole is open, he drew a diagram in the snow, illustrating how the world used to
be with its protective layer; how it appeared 25 years ago when he first
discovered the hole in the ozone layer and how that hole appears today.
“It’s probably doubled in size since
the first discovery,” Mr Shanklin said. “And it was a wakeup call to the
planet on how easily it is to change the atmosphere.”
His discovery led to a world-wide ban on
ozone-destroying chemicals in hairsprays and fridges, slowing the growth of the
ozone hole.
In decades to come, the hole is expected
to close again.
Mr Shanklin has a warning about the
climate changes to come.
“It won’t just be the Antarctic ice
sheets breaking up,” he warned. “It will be glaciers flowing faster into the
sea, the sea level rising and we will see the effects of that back in
England.”
He says climate conferences where
governments discuss the problem are not good enough.
“We need action and we need action
now,” Mr Shanklin said. “This is a bit like putting the breaks on a lorry.
You don’t stop immediately, but you perhaps will slow down enough so that
you’re in control when you get to the future. At the moment, we’re not in
control.”
