O

The Oslo Convention is a short name for the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. Ozone is the name of a molecule that consists of three atoms of oxygen stuck together, in contrast to the oxygen in the atmosphere, which has two atoms of oxygen. In 1984 scientists working from the British Antarctic Survey base at Halley Bay observed that a large portion of the ozone layer had deteriorated to leave a massive hole in the layer. Scientists have discovered that the destruction of the ozone layer is caused by man-made gases, particularly chlorofluorocarbons and halons. The chlorine radicals released are able to trigger a series of chain reactions with the ozone molecules which causes their destruction, without being themselves consumed. The London Amendment also established a financial mechanism which included the establishment of a multilateral fund to assist developing countries to comply with the control measures.