Buzz
Image courtesy of: NASA
Let’s begin with the less-than-ideal update: Remember the ozone hole scientists identified over Antarctica in 1985? The one that made us fear skin cancer and cataracts from the increased UV rays? It’s still present.
Things took a turn for the worse. In early 2011, researchers revealed another hole had formed—this time over the Arctic. The stratosphere, the atmospheric layer that shields us from harmful UV rays, is still facing challenges.
On a brighter note, we’ve made significant progress in tackling the issue.
When the ozone hole was first discovered, global leaders acted swiftly. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 saw many nations agree to halt the production of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). In fact, saving the ozone was the first global consensus ever achieved: A treaty to ban CFCs was the very first to be ratified by all United Nations member countries.
As atmospheric CFC levels started to decline, the ozone layer began its recovery. Though progress is slow—many of the CFCs released in the 70s and 80s are still causing damage—scientists are optimistic that the ozone layer could return to normal by the end of this century.
Curiously, the thinning of the ozone layer had an unexpected benefit: it helped slow down global warming. The reduced ozone over Antarctica led to brighter clouds that reflected some of the sun’s radiation away from Earth. While removing this effect may slightly accelerate global warming, scientists agree that a healthy ozone layer is far more beneficial overall.
This article first appeared in the Jan-Feb 2012 issue of mental_floss magazine.
