New or revised pages:
(latest at top)
18 July 2009
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On the front cover of this book, there is a quotation from Nobel
Prize laureate, Mario Molina, “This book is the story of why we can
all be optimistic about the future if we are willing to be brave and
dedicated world citizens." Professor Molina discovered the
relationship between CFCs and the ozone layer. In fact, the
subtitle says it all; it recounts how the experience gained in
handling ozone-depletion can be applied to mitigating the effects of
climate change.
How does this work? The Montreal Protocol has undoubtedly been the
most successful of all international measures concerning the
environment. The achievement has been won through the five stages of
technology transfer, assessment, agreement, implementation,
evaluation and adjustment, and replication. The adoption of clean
technology involved the attitude to environmental and economic
risks, the social pressures of community, market and regulations,
and behavioural control of technological and organisational
capabilities. Similar thinking can be applied to other problems,
notably climate change.
The first five chapters describe the mechanisms of technology
transfer, the background of ozone and climate agreements and how the
technology was changed in developed countries. From chapter 6
onwards, there is a detailed account of how the technology was
transferred in each of the major sectors using ozone-depleting
substances: foams, refrigeration, air-conditioning, aerosol
products, fire protection, solvents, and pest control. Of course, a
large part of these chapters on the technology transfer to phase out
ODSs describes various aspects of our role in this. There are many
pages recounting the alternatives to ozone-depleting substances in
many industries and there are more pages describing the technology
choices made in developing countries with some examples, both
successful and less so. Some emphasis is made on the difficulties
that small and medium enterprises encountered in both developed and
developing countries. Overall, it provides a good picture leading to
the lessons that can be learnt in technology transfer to combat the
problems that will be encountered in reducing emissions of
greenhouse gases.
Chapter 12 describes the barriers to technology transfer faced by
developing countries and this is followed by a chapter on awareness
and capacity building. All these chapters are illustrated by
detailed case studies of practical examples from the Montreal
Protocol mechanisms.
Chapter 14 is the all-important one giving 12 lessons on how the
information gained in the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances
may be applied to reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases within
the framework of the Kyoto Protocol and other legislation. The first
lesson is entitled “Act now", and how important this is! Of course,
this is what Professor Molina implies by being willing to be brave
and dedicated world citizens. We know that many nations are falling
behind in their commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and it will
require courage for these and other countries to make the dent that
is necessary in the quantities of greenhouse gases that are emitted.
A number of appendices provide additional background information
including some project completion reports.
Is this book worth the read? Personally, I would reply to this
question with an unqualified yes, simply because it gives a fresh
look at the problems involved in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
by transferring technology from developed to developing countries.
It is well written and easy to read. The authors and other
contributors are all well-known experts in their respective fields,
making the work very authoritative.
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