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| Sunday, 22 September 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Speech by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Rukman Senanayake on the International Ozone Day celebrations organised by Montreal Protocol Unit, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with UNDP at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. I am very thankful to the Montreal Protocol Unit of the Environment & Natural Resources Ministry for organising this awareness programme for schoolchildren with regard to the Ozone depleting substances. When we talk of environment our attention is always drawn to what we can see and what we can hear or perhaps what we can smell. Whenever we see a heap of garbage or some polythene bags, our attention is drawn to it and we feel that something should be done immediately. It is important to find ways and means to solve this problem and let me assure you that the Environment Ministry is engaged in its pursuit. Generally the environment degradation can be witnessed through land, air and water where we can see how our rivers are being polluted. We can witness how our land is being degraded and the pollution of air by various means. However, there is a greater danger looming around us that is unseen but highly dangerous. That is the destruction of the Ozone layer. The Ozone layer which is so vital to us for our survival is being continuously destroyed by man made gases. Chloro Floro Carbon known as CFC which is a man made gas is the biggest culprit. When this gas was introduced in 1930s it was considered a miracle gas as nobody was aware of the harm it can cause. However, subsequently, scientists discovered that this CFC once exposed to the atmosphere within 30 years reaches the ozone layer and that once the sun's rays break this. CFC, the Chlorine that comes out destroys the ozone layer and destroys it in an alarming ratio 1:100,000, where one part of Chlorine destroys 100,000 parts of the Ozone layer. The sun rays are absolutely essential for life to exist on earth. Without the sun we cannot think of our existence. But just as much as the sun helps our existence some harmful UV rays that emanates from the sun destroys life itself. The Ozone layer is the only protection we have as it prevents these UV rays coming to earth. Another man-made gas is Methyl Bromide which is used for fumigation and quarantine purposes. In Sri Lanka this was widely used in tea nurseries but once it was identified as a harmful gas, the Tea Research Institute with financial help from the Montreal Protocol has succeeded in finding an alternative to Methyl Bromide. We have also informed the other tea producing countries of this alternative. Today because of the increase of the ozone hole in the Antarctic region and these harmful rays that come through causes skin cancer, affects eye sight, brings about eye cataracts, harms plants and vegetation and also destroys marine life. It is also important to note that the ozone hole that is seen today takes about 50 years to go back to what it was in 1970s. The developed world has already stopped the use of CFC gas. The Montreal Protocol allows the developing countries time till 2010 to chase out the CFC because of the economic conditions. I am proud to announce that Sri Lanka will be phasing out CFC 5 years ahead of the target date, i.e. in 2005. It must be mentioned here that every Government in Sri Lanka has contributed to this achievement. In the teachings of Lord Buddha it is stated that "whatever that has the nature of rising carries itself with the seeds of its own destruction and that is the only permanent law governing the Universe." The rays of the sun is no exception to this law. We must realise that we are playing not with our lives but with the lives of the future generations. It is important to have awareness programmes to our people understand this. No law will reach the required goal unless otherwise the people participate, to protect the environment. We have seen that appeals made to the older generation generally falling on deaf ears. That is why it is important to use the students and the youth to bring some form of compulsion to the elders to protect the environment. We have embarked on this awareness programme in 4,000 schools and hope to take to every nook and corner of the country. When you pollute the environment please look in your home at the baby in the cradle. You are playing with that baby's life." |
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