Risking the Health of Billions

Narrow economic considerations on the part of the governments of some Western European nations and Japan are jeopardizing prompt international action to protect the ozone layer that screens the global population from excessive ultraviolet radiation. This irresponsibility risks the health of billions of people.

At stake is a protocol to reduce emissions of chlorofluorocarbons--CFCs--and other compounds that destroy ozone in the atmosphere. A second conference of 30 key nations failed to agree on which of the CFCs to control, as well as the size and timing of the reduction. A third attempt will be made in April.

Furthermore, only eight countries--among them the United States, Canada, the Soviet Union and the Nordic nations--have ratified the 1985 Vienna Convention that established the framework for controls. Twenty signatures are required before it can be implemented. Some nations--including Ireland, Japan, Spain and Portugal--have not even signed the convention, let alone begun the ratification process.

The European Community finds itself divided on the issue. West Germany is expected to move ahead in the immediate future with ratification, but Britain and France, major producers of CFCs, are hanging back. Disputes continue over what CFCs to limit--including Japan’s opposition to cutting back on CFC 113, a critical solvent for microchips. This approach misses the opportunity to continue producing a limited number of critical compounds while cutting back on overall production of most of the compounds. There is little disagreement on the importance of an immediate freeze in emissions. But the narrow, short-term considerations are serving to obstruct movement on a freeze, and that means dangerous delays in future reductions.