Ozone is Back!

According to recent findings from climate scientists, the ozone layer is really beginning to show signs up healing.  A recent CNN article has reported on the ozone layer's resurgence.  Although the ozone layer is healing very slowly, the hole is becoming smaller and smaller, with its maximum depletion occurring around the year 2000.

For those who do not know, in 1989 chemicals that caused the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere was banned in the Montreal Protocol.  The main type of chemical banned was the chlorofluorocarbon.

CFC

This chemical turns ozone (O3) into gaseous oxygen.  Ozone is very necessary in our atmosphere to protect ourselves from dangerous ultraviolet light.  Without ozone, the UV light is able to penetrate the atmosphere all the way to the surface where it can cause increased rates of skin cancer, disease, as well as cause increased heating to our earth's surface.  

The dangerous chemical's effects were only discovered in 1985, and officials acted quickly to ban the compound from use in everyday materials such as refrigerators, hair sprays, and aerosols.  Since then, other propellants have been used that do not pose a risk to the ozone layer, or other parts of the protective atmosphere around the earth. Some of these replacement chemicals include Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (these still deplete ozone, but at a much slower rate) and hydrofluorocarbons, which have an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0. 

The swift movement from the discovery of the problem to the action to eliminate the dangerous chemical shows how a successful mission can be accomplished on the world stage regarding science and chemistry.  I believe that this should be a model to the way we treat our energy systems with fossil fuels being a large polluter and greenhouse gas emitter into our air. We understand the negative effects of burning fossil fuels and how it affects the environment.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to begin the process of eliminating the burning of these ancient compounds in our every day lives, and begin a movement to more clean and renewable sources of energy for the public. We are already seeing companies like Tesla push the boundaries on affordability of electric cars and household battery systems. 

The actions of the UN and countries around the world with on the ozone layer depletion should be a model for further safety and environmental management in the world.  We have seen that using science to pinpoint a problem and create a solution for the environment works, so why stop now?