Dear MEL Topic Readers,
The ozone layer is on track to recover within decades as harmful chemicals are phased out, scientists report
The ozone layer is a region of Earth's stratosphere, the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It protects the planet and its living creatures from harmful ultraviolet rays, which could cause premature aging of the skin and signs of sun damage such as wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, solar elastosis, and eye problems. The ozone layer had been decreasing by human-produced chlorofluorocarbons, or CFC, which used to be used in refrigerators, aerosols, and solvents until 1989 when the use of those ozone-harming chemicals was banned by the Montreal Protocol. Three decades after the phase-out of the harmful chemical substances took place, a significant recovery of the ozone layer has been observed. Scientists now predict the ozone layer is likely to recover to 1980 levels in a few decades, including the Arctic and Antarctic regions. If humans could replace fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses with renewable energy sources or more environmentally friendly alternatives, as we did to CFC, further global warming could be avoided. But time is ticking to the point of no return or devastating consequences. Yes, human ingenuity could save the planet. The question seems to be how and how soon we act.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what humans have done and could do to the environment.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/09/world/ozone-layer-recovery-climate-intl/index.html
The ozone layer is on track to recover within decades as harmful chemicals are phased out, scientists report
The ozone layer is a region of Earth's stratosphere, the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It protects the planet and its living creatures from harmful ultraviolet rays, which could cause premature aging of the skin and signs of sun damage such as wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, solar elastosis, and eye problems. The ozone layer had been decreasing by human-produced chlorofluorocarbons, or CFC, which used to be used in refrigerators, aerosols, and solvents until 1989 when the use of those ozone-harming chemicals was banned by the Montreal Protocol. Three decades after the phase-out of the harmful chemical substances took place, a significant recovery of the ozone layer has been observed. Scientists now predict the ozone layer is likely to recover to 1980 levels in a few decades, including the Arctic and Antarctic regions. If humans could replace fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses with renewable energy sources or more environmentally friendly alternatives, as we did to CFC, further global warming could be avoided. But time is ticking to the point of no return or devastating consequences. Yes, human ingenuity could save the planet. The question seems to be how and how soon we act.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what humans have done and could do to the environment.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/09/world/ozone-layer-recovery-climate-intl/index.html
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