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Dr Bernice Heloo, Deputy
Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), on
Monday said government was in the process of developing a business plan for
the establishment of a refrigeration plant.
The plant would put together ozone
friendly refrigerators to help reduce chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are
released into the atmosphere.
Dr Heloo said this at the celebration
of this year’s World Ozone Day.The celebration provides an opportunity
for individuals worldwide to reflect on the progress that has been made
with regards to the protection of the ozone layer.
The day also serves as a reminder to
decision makers and the public on the need to protect the Ozone layer that
serves as a shield and safeguards the earth and the lives of humans.
The theme for this year’s
celebration is “A healthy atmosphere, the future we want.”
The Deputy Minister explained that
government had also started a rebate system where people could trade their
old refrigerators for new ones at designated places and noted that a
Ghanaian Waste Company, City Waste Recycling was helping to harvest gases
from the old refrigerators before they were dismantled to prevent the
releases of poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
“Over the years the use of some
chemicals has greatly affected the ozone layer which acts as a protective
shield in controlling the harmful effects of ultraviolet B radiation (Uv-B)
from the sun from reaching the earth. Some of these chemicals include CFCs
and many others,” she said.
Dr Heloo said in view of the fact
that most developing countries like Ghana that were signatories to
the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal
Protocol against the depletion of the Ozone layer were neither manufactures
nor producers of CFCs, there was the need to phase out of the use of
CFC products.
The Minister added that dealers in
second –hand refrigerators had understood and agreed to co-operate with
government in the assembling of the plant.
She said over 600 refrigeration
technicians and engineers had been introduced to hydrocarbon refrigeration
technology which was a win-win option for both the ozone layer and the
global climate.
Dr Heloo said officials from
Customs, Excise and Preventive Service had been capacitated through a
number of training programmes to enable them step up their monitoring role
in tracking illegal importation of ozone depleting substances into the country.
Mr Samuel Anku, Deputy Executive
Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA)said the Montreal
protocol had been beneficial and had delivered substantial climate benefit,
adding that the reduction in ozone depleting substances between 1990 and
2000 yielded a net integrated reduction of approximately 25 billion tonnes
of carbon dioxide
“These significant reductions make
the Montreal Protocol one of the prime global contributors in the fight
against global warming,” he said.
He however said key questions also
remained on how to deal in an environmentally sensitive manner the large
banks of ozone depleting substances currently used in various systems.
Mr Emmanuel Osae Quansah, Deputy
Director at the EPA, briefed the media on the effects of Uv-B radiation and
said the substance could suppress the immune system and that a variety of
plants such as rice, maize among other were sensitive to the substances.
The EPA will also organize forum
with selected fishing communities and women’s group, hold radio and TV talk
shows as well as launch a booklet titled “20 Years of Active Participation
in a Worthy Global Effort to create awareness of the Ozone layer.
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