Ozone Layer Levels Have Recovered by 4%

Steven Bogos

The Taco Man
Jan 17, 2013
9,354
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Ozone Layer Levels Have Recovered by 4%


The hole in the ozone Layer caused by CFCs is slowly repairing itself.

Remember back when we found out that hairspray was making a massive hole in the ozone layer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_hole], right over Antarctica? Well, good news everyone! The hole is very slowly repairing itself, as a U.N. scientific panel has reported that ozone levels have increased by 4% from 2000 to 2013. While still around 6% lower than the levels in 1980, it's certainly a very noticeable improvement, and easily "one of the great success stories of international collective action in addressing a global environmental change phenomenon," said Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program.

Scientists in the panel said the development demonstrates that when the world comes together, it can counteract a brewing ecological crisis. "It's a victory for diplomacy and for science and for the fact that we were able to work together," said chemist Mario Molina. In 1974, Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland wrote a scientific study forecasting the ozone depletion problem. They won the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work.

The ozone layer had been steadily depleting since some time in the 1970's, due to the use of chlorofluorocarbons - CFCs. CFCs release chlorine and bromine, which destroy ozone molecules high in the air. Scientists realized the damage we were causing with these chemicals, and in 1987 a treaty was signed by countries around the world to stop using CFCs.

In a somewhat ironic twist of fate, heat-trapping greenhouse gases - considered the major cause of global warming - are also helping to rebuild the ozone layer. The report said rising levels of carbon dioxide and other gases cool the upper stratosphere, and the cooler air increases the amount of ozone.

Source: AP News [http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_289563/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=OVuGX3qh]

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Vault101

I'm in your mind fuzz
Sep 26, 2010
18,863
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that's nice

although I hardly find it encouraging given....everything else
 

Dakkagor

New member
Sep 5, 2011
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Obviously all the hot air blowing about on the Internet recently has helped considerably.

This is good news, great news in fact, and sorely needed. Lets see governments and corporations start to agree on climate change next.
 

VanQ

Casual Plebeian
Oct 23, 2009
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So we mildly remedied one problem with a far greater problem?

Forgive me if I'm not overjoyed. Still a nice development, I suppose.
 

drakonz

New member
Mar 1, 2014
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nice so when are we going to do something about overfishing? (seriously if this keeps up we run out of fish within our planet in 40-90 years. earliest estimate is by 2050 compared to 1950 only 10% of total fish population is alive)
 

TheEvilCheese

Cheesey.
Dec 16, 2008
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drakonz said:
nice so when are we going to do something about overfishing? (seriously if this keeps up we run out of fish within our planet in 40-90 years. earliest estimate is by 2050 compared to 1950 only 10% of total fish population is alive)
In some parts of the world, we are. It's a bit of a random issue to mention but we've been managing cod numbers off the UK for a while with how low they got, and they're on the up.

That said, yeah. We're greedy fuckers. Overfishing is far harder to come to consensus on than CFCs in the ozone because it covers so many different habitats, each with different issues and populations of both fish and people. CFCs were easier to manage and people aren't going to complain about measures to protect the ozone layer like they complain about not getting what they want. What politician wants to piss of his constituency by telling them what they can and can't eat?

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OT: Damn, that's really good news. Not unexpected but still, massive improvement. Hopefully successes like this lead to more international co-operation on environmental issues.
 

michael87cn

New member
Jan 12, 2011
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heh kinda hilarious that people wanting their hair to look pretty could have killed us all.

perfect descriptor for the human race.
 

Darxide

New member
Dec 14, 2009
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Fixing the ozone layer isn't going to really matter with potentially irreversible, catastrophic climate change looming on the horizon.
 

Baresark

New member
Dec 19, 2010
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I just have to laugh at this news and the comments section here. All doom and gloom.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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Baresark said:
I just have to laugh at this news and the comments section here. All doom and gloom.
I'm with with you, man. Here we have somethng environmentally good happening, and all I see is tidings of woe because people think the bad weather is gonna kill us all and the Earth will flood like Waterworld. This is good news, period!