The jury chose Down To Earth for its extensive and incisive reportage on ozone spanning over 25 years
Down To Earth, Asia’s premier fortnightly on science, environment and development, won the Ozone Awards in a ceremony held today at the International Civil Aviation Organisation headquarters in Montreal, Canada, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. An international jury comprising eminent leaders decided to give the Best Media Coverage to Down To Earth for its extensive and incisive reportage on ozone spanning over 25 years
The Ozone Awards is given by the Ozone Secretariat in recognition of the exemplary roles played by “individuals, groups or organisations that have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and contribution to the progress and achievements of the Montreal Protocol in the past 10 years”.
In 1992, Down To Earth was one of the first media organisations to report how the countries in the West have pressed the panic button because of evidence of ozone depletion over the Arctic and large parts of the high and middle latitudes. Almost a decade later, it wrote about how the alternatives to banned ozone-depleting substances may also be jeopardising the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol.
Keeping a watchful eye on developments around ozone layer depletion and climate change, Down To Earth has been consistently reminding the world about the dangers of ozone depletion. It has not stopped at disseminating scientific studies to the global audience, but also questioned inaction on certain fronts and given voices to those asking global leaders to practice what they preach at the negotiation tables.
This fortnightly has walked an extra mile to find out the alternatives and also analysed counter-narratives around ozone layer depletion to ensure plurality of ideas and voices in its reportage.
At this critical juncture, when climate change negotiations have turned into an “Us vs. Them” debate and developed countries are shying away from their responsibilities to solve global challenges, fair and unbiased reporting assumes even greater importance. And Down To Earth remains committed to it.
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