33. David Fahey on the Montreal Protocol, ozone depletion and SRM

Challenging Climate

Dr David Fahey is the Director of the Chemical Sciences Laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and he also serves as a Co-Chair of its the Montreal Protocol’s Scientific Assessment Panel, which produces the quadrennial assessments of stratospheric ozone depletion. In this episode, we discuss flying planes into the stratosphere to conduct experiments on ozone depletion, the success of the Montreal Protocol, and solar radiation modification (SRM) - potential impacts, future for research and deployment regulation.
Links:

• David Fahey ’s profile
• David's work with the NASA Airborne Science Program,
• Including this paper based on the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment over the Antarctic
• Montreal Protocol Scientific Assessment Panel
• The 2022 Quadrennial report and Executive Summary
• One Atmosphere, the UNEP review on SRM research and deployment
• Episode chapter markers

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Chapters

1. 33. David Fahey on the Montreal Protocol, ozone depletion and SRM (00:00:00)

2. Episode summary (00:00:15)

3. Introduction and background (00:04:04)

4. CFC ozone depletion experiments (00:08:20)

5. Why is the ozone layer so vital? (00:12:40)

6. The Montreal Protocol and its Scientific Assessment Panel (00:16:08)

7. The differences between the Montreal Protocol and IPCC (00:18:56)

8. The battle with CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs (00:22:52)

9. Looking back on the success of the Montreal Protocol (00:27:42)

10. The budding discussion of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) (00:31:02)

11. Stratospheric Aerosol Injection: Potential implementation scenarios and range of outcomes? (00:34:02)

12. One Atmosphere: UNEP review on SRM (00:38:31)

13. Why are the recommendations still so vague? (00:41:33)

14. Controversy of SRM research and small-scale experiments (00:44:06)

15. Moving for global conversation on SRM (00:46:20)

16. What gives you optimism? (00:48:44)