The first step in controlling the consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS) applicable to developing countries that are party to the Montreal Protocol is fast approaching. On 1 July 1999, the freeze on consumption & production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) goes into effect. This publication helps the hotel & tourism industry to understand the damage being done to the stratospheric ozone layer by ODS. It outlines the steps to be taken by hotel managers to establish their own ODS management programme to properly manage the transition away from these chemicals. It suggests ways on how to reduce or avoid the use of ODS in various applications such as: air conditioners, refrigerators & freezers. It also includes examples of good practices from hotel & tourism facilities around the world, which have successfully adopted alternatives to replace ODS.

This handbook contains the full texts of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, including amendments and decisions adopted by the Parties upto the end of the year 2002, as well as information on the rule of procedure for meetings, the evolution of the Montreal Protocol, and on sources of further information.

A balanced assessment based on currently available scientific knowledge of the effects that climate change may have on the environment in Europe and the health of its populations. Written in non-technical language the book responds to growing public and political concern about the consequences of such widely publicized phenomena as global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion. The book also responds to evidence that recent warming trends in Europe have already affected health. The book opens with a brief explanation of the causes of climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion followed by an overview of recent European and global initiatives aimed at monitoring trends and assessing their impact on health. The first main chapter on climate change in Europe summarizes currently documented trends and provides a scenario of possible changes throughout the rest of this century. The second and most extensive chapter reviews scientific evidence on specific health consequences. These include effects related to increased episodes of thermal stress and air pollution; changes in foodborne water-related vector-borne and rodent-borne diseases; mortality from floods and other weather extremes; and changes in the production of aeroallergens associated with respiratory disorders including asthma. Chapter three considers health effects linked to stratospheric ozone depletion giving particular attention to adverse effects on the eye and immune system and skin cancer. The remaining chapters discuss health effects expected in the next decade and outline actions urgently needed in the areas of policy monitoring and surveillance and research.