Senate okays 2 int’l pacts vs ‘ODS’

With 16 out of 23 senators present, the Senate ratified yesterday two international treaties against the use of products and appliances that emit ozone-depleting substances (ODS) that are harmful to the environment.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago earlier endorsed Resolution Nos. 438 and 439, under Committee Report Nos. 49 and 50, respectively, recommending that the Senate adopt the Montreal and Beijing Amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

"We may soon bid goodbye to hair spraynets, air conditioners, refrigerators, solvents, cleaners, pesticides, and other industrial products which emit dangerous" ODS, Santiago said.

Santiago, who chairs the Senate committee on foreign relations, said the depletion of the ozone layer allows more ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth’s surface. It can cause increased cases of skin cancer, cataracts, retinal damage, and damage to people’s immune system.

"Small increases in ultraviolet radiation also diminish the productivity of important food crops and reduce levels of plankton in the ocean, adversely affecting marine food supplies," she said.

With the Senate’s action, Santiago said the country can now expect technical and financial assistance under a multilateral fund "to help us phase out ozone-depleting substances."

The Montreal Protocol provides for a body of regulations to control the production and trade of substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons that deplete the ozone layer, she said.

Research showed that CFCs are a common industrial product used in refrigeration systems, air conditioners, aerosols, solvents, cleaners and in the production of some types of packaging. As they are neither toxic nor flammable, they greatly reduce the risk of industrial accidents.

Santiago, an expert on international law, explained that the Montreal Amendment introduces a requirement for all state parties to establish import and export licensing systems for ODS.

On the other hand, the Beijing Amendment aims to control the production and consumption of a new type of ozone-depleting substance called bromochloromethane, which is basically used as a fire-extinguishing agent.

"The implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its succeeding amendments has slowed down the growth of CFCs in the troposphere," Santiago said.

The earth’s atmosphere is divided into five layers. It is thickest near the surface and thins out with altitude. The troposphere, the first layer above the earth’s surface, contains half of the earth’s atmosphere and is where weather occurs.

Unfortunately, Santiago said the chlorine content in the stratosphere will continue to be dominated by the CFC emissions which occurred between 1960 and 1990.

The stratosphere is located above the troposphere. It is where the temperature increases with altitude because the ozone molecules in this layer absorb harmful rays from the sun, heating the air around them.

According to Santiago, the call for urgent international cooperation to prevent the total destruction of the ozone layer should be prioritized by all countries.

"The Senate’s ratification of the amendments to the Montreal Protocol is a giant step in the right direction," she said.

Under the Constitution, no treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate. — Christina Mendez