Accra, Sept. 14, GNA - An environmental nongovernmental organisation (NGO) on Thursday called for a concerted effort of all countries and stakeholders to tackle the causes of depletion of the ozone layer. "This will need the cooperation of all and sundry, especially the advanced and developed countries, to support this worthy cause by way of providing financial assistance to the less endowed countries to embark on anti-ozone depletion programmes," Nature Today said in a statement released in Acra. Mr Justice Odoiquaye Odoi, Executive President, signed the statement to mark International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which falls on September 16. It is on the theme: "Protect the Ozone: Save Life on Earth." The NGO said activities such as industrialisation known to emit pollutants and poisonous gases into the atmosphere needed to be tackled by way of enforcing laws to reduce the amount of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were emitted into the atmosphere. "Efforts should be made to manufacture and encourage the use of free or less poisonous gas producing machinery. "Consumers are also admonished to buy aerosol spray cans, refrigerators and fire extinguishers that are labelled

ozone friendly or CFC free." Nature Today asked homeowners to dispose of old

refrigerators and other appliances responsibly, stressing those

materials containing CFCs should be removed from appliances

before being discarded. It said farmers, who used methyl bromide, an

ozone-damaging pesticide, for soil fumigation should switch to

effective and safe alternatives.