No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Global environment is presenting new opportunities and challenges for international cooperation. The depletion of the ozone layer is one of the successful cases where the world community has demonstrated a rare consensus to address a global problem. This study: (1) examines the role of international law and institutions in shaping a regime for ozone layer depletion as formalized in the 1987 Montreal Protocol; (2) evaluates contributions of the ozone regime to the development of international environmental law, and (3) analyzes its implications for future international cooperation. Using regime theories as a methodological framework, the study integrates science, policy, law and institutions to show how they interact to create understandings, practices, and procedures in international relations. Traditionally, regime theorists have focused on power and interest to explain international cooperation. The existing theories were found to be inadequate for the analysis of ozone regime. I have offered an alternate explanation by incorporating the element of "law" into regime studies and linking regimes with "institutions"--the raison d'etre of the regimes. This modified explanation helps to provide a better understanding of the formation of the ozone regime. The study suggests that the ozone regime has produced a new generation of environmental norms. These norms, both procedural and substantive, put "flesh on the bone" of environmental law and keep ozone regime as a political process in motion, thus, adapting to the changing technological and scientific environment. Moreover, the ozone regime marks a turning point in the shift of emphasis from single-issue pollution laws to an encompassing law of the atmosphere. A new form of international cooperation also emerged from ozone negotiations. This cooperation was promoted by joint efforts of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the world scientific community. UNEP used scientific findings to persuade the parties to the ozone negotiations to re-evaluate their political stance in light of evolving scientific knowledge. At a time when traditional bases of power seem to be eroding, international institutions are viable structures to initiate efforts to address human concerns and facilitate decisions by the international community. Similarly, the world scientific community may prove influential in future global policymaking, in particular on the issues with high degrees of scientific uncertainty.

Ambient observations have indicated that ozone formation in the Houston area is frequently faster and more efficient, with respect to NOx consumed, than other urban areas in the country. It is believed that these unique characteristics of ozone formation in the Houston area are associated with the plumes of reactive hydrocarbons, emanating from the industrial Houston Ship Channel area. Thus, accurate quantification of industrial emissions, particularly of reactive hydrocarbons, is critical to effectively address the rapid ozone formation and the consequent high levels of ozone in the area. Industrial emissions of hydrocarbons have significant temporal variability as evidenced by various measurements, but they have been assumed to be continuous at constant levels for air quality regulation and photochemical modeling studies. This thesis examines the effect of emission variability from industrial sources on ozone formation in the HoustonGalveston area. Both discrete emission events and variability in continuous emissions are examined; new air quality modeling tools have been developed to perform these analyses. Also, this thesis evaluates the impact of emission variability on the effectiveness of emission control strategies in the Houston-Galveston area. Overall, the results indicate that industrial emission variability plays a substantial role in ozone formation and that controlling emission variability can be effective in ozone reduction. These results suggest that a quantitative treatment of emission variability should be included in the development of air quality plans for regions with extensive industrial activity, such as Houston.