New Study Reveals Ozone Layer is Finally Coming Back

Great news from the UN earlier this month revealed that the ozone layer is recovering!

Okay, okay. Backstory first. In 1985 scientists discovered that there was a hole in the ozone layer. Ozone is a gas in the stratosphere (the second layer of the atmosphere) that protects against UV rays from the sun. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the cause. At the time, people used CFCs in propellants and solvents in products like hairspray, refrigerators, and more. Two years later, the world signed the Montreal Protocol to phase out CFCs.

This received global attention because the depletion of the ozone layer leads to increased UV levels. Higher levels of UV means higher rates of skin cancer, crop damage and potential damage to ocean food chains.  

Every four years, since 1990, the UN conducts a study to monitor the levels of ozone in our atmosphere. This year we got the news that it looks like the hole is getting better. Not recovered, but better. 2040 is the projected date for the ozone level to reach 1980s level, 2045 for The Arctic, and 2066 for Antarctica.

This is such momentous news because it shows what we can do when we work together. The fact that the world banded together under the Montreal Protocol is amazing! The Paris Agreement is the most recent climate agreement. While it seems that nations, including and especially the US, have struggled to meet the demands of the agreement, it is so refreshing to see that the world can work together for the good of the climate.

This is a step in the right direction. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.