The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named two Boulder scientists among the winners of the agency’s international Ozone Layer Protection Award on Monday in Washington, D.C. David Fahey and John Daniel of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder were honored during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Fahey and Daniel are among the authors of a groundbreaking paper published in 2007 that calculated the benefits to the climate from citizen action and the Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone-depleting substances that are also powerful greenhouse gases. The team of five scientists found that the direct effect of the Montreal Protocol’s emission reductions has been to delay climate change by 7 to 12 years. The award citation states, “This team reminds us that individuals can make a difference, that confident action can succeed under multilateral agreements like the Montreal Protocol, and that ground-breaking science can guide successful policies.”
Fahey also received an individual award for his work on many aspects of stratospheric ozone depletion and the impact of aviation on ozone and climate. He has served on several international scientific assessments of ozone depletion and climate. Fahey was the lead author of "Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer” for both the 2002 and 2006 updates of the Montreal Protocol’s Science Assessment Report.
The EPA Ozone Layer Protection Award was established in 1990 to recognize exceptional leadership, personal dedication, and technical achievements in eliminating ozone-depleting substances, according to the EPA.
“Efforts to help restore the ozone layer and fight climate change will benefit the planet for generations to come. We commend the 2008 Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Award winners for their work to protect our environment,” said Bob Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air & Radiation.
Candidates for the EPA award are selected from all over the world. Winners are chosen on the basis of originality and public purpose; persuasive, moral or organizational leadership; and actual elimination of chemical emissions, according to the EPA. Over 224 awards have been presented to individuals, companies, organizations, and government institutions from 46 countries.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.