According to the most recent UN report, the ozone layer is on a healing trajectory, and the hole over Antarctica will be completely repaired by 2066.
More than 35 years after each nation in the world agreed to stop manufacturing chemicals that eat away at the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a part of the Earth's atmosphere that shields the planet from dangerous radiation that has been linked to cataracts, skin cancer, and crop damage. A scientific assessment conducted every four years found that recovery of the very same ozone layer is underway.
Slow Progress but Healing
Paul Newman, the co-chair for the scientific assessment, said that things are improving in the upper stratosphere as well as the ozone hole.
According to the report presented at the Denver convention of the American Meteorological Society, the progress is slow. It will take until around 2040 for the average amount of ozone in the atmosphere to return to 1980 pre-thinning levels, according to the report. It also said that the Arctic will not return to normal until 2045.
According to the Executive Summary of the UN report for 2022, Antarctica, where the layer is so thin, there is a giant gaping hole in the layer every year, won't be completely fixed until 2066.
Montreal Protocol of 1987
One of the greatest ecological triumphs for humanity, according to scientists and environmentalists worldwide, has been the effort to close the ozone hole, which was made possible by the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which outlawed a group of chemicals commonly found in refrigerants and aerosols.
Prof. Petteri Taalas, the World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General, stated that ozone action sets a precedent for climate action. The success in eliminating ozone-depleting substances demonstrates what can and must be done-urgently-to move away from burning fossil fuels, move towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby limit temperature increases.
Newman said that Four years ago, there were already some reported healing signs, but they were still at a preliminary stage. Now, those recovery statistics have become much more stable.
According to Newman, the Goddard Space Flight Center chief Earth scientist said that the two main chemicals that eat away at ozone are present in the atmosphere at lower concentrations. The amount of chlorine in the air has decreased by 11.5% since its peak in 1993, while the amount of bromine, which is more effective at consuming ozone but is present in lower concentrations, has decreased by 14.5% since its 1999 peak.
According to Newman, The fact that chlorine and bromine levels have stopped rising and are decreasing is a true testament to the Montreal Protocol's efficacy.
Cans of Refrigerant for Sale and Rogue Emissions
According to David W. Fahey, co-chair of the scientific panel and director of the chemical sciences lab for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there has been a sea change in how society approaches ozone-depleting substances.
In the past, refrigerants that deplete the ozone layer, penetrate it and contaminate the atmosphere could be purchased in a can from a store, according to Fahey. In addition to being illegal, the items are no longer frequently found in houses or cars because cleaner chemicals have taken their place.
The Antarctic's atural weather patterns have an impact on ozone hole levels, which peak in the fall. And as a result, over the past couple of years, the holes in the ozone have gotten a little bit bigger, but all in all, recovery is the trend, according to Newman.
Inger Andersen, director of the United Nations Environment Programme, stated in an email to The Associated Press earlier this year that this prevents 2 million people annually from developing skin cancer.
Some parts of China had rogue emissions, but they are now back to normal, according to Newman.
A third generation of such chemicals, known as HFC, was outlawed a few years ago due to its ability to trap heat rather than because it would eat away at the ozone layer. According to the new report, the ban would prevent an increase in global warming of 0.5 to 0.9 degrees.
The UN report also stated that Antarctica's ozone layer could thin by up to 20% as a result of efforts to unnaturally cool the planet by spraying aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight, PhysOrg reports.
Related article: Air Pollution vs. Ozone Pollution Seesaw: Impacts on Health, Agriculture, Environment, Scientists Warn
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