Earth’s ozone layer is on its way to recovery, thanks to decades of work to get rid of ozone-damaging chemicals, a United Nations-backed panel of international experts has found.
The ozone layer plays an important role for living things on our planet. This shield in the stratosphere protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
The international community was alarmed after experts discovered a hole in the ozone layer in May 1985. Scientists had previously discovered that chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays and as solvents and refrigerants, could destroy the ozone.
Two years after the discovery of the terrible state of the ozone layer, international organizations adopted a global agreement called the Montreal Protocol. This established the phasing out of nearly 100 synthetic chemicals that were linked to all-important ozone depletion.
“The ozone layer was being degraded by a class of man-made chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons) entering the atmosphere. These chemicals are, coincidentally, very potent greenhouse gases. The chemicals were used as solvents and coolants, and once the damage was identified and clearly linked to these particular chemicals, an international agreement was forged that limited and ultimately eliminated the production and use of these chemicals. The reason it worked so fast is because these chemicals were easily replaced by other existing chemicals that weren’t as harmful.” explained Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, professor of Earth Sciences and director of the Center for Urban Health at Indiana University. Filippelli is a biogeochemist with extensive training in climate change in marine and terrestrial systems and author of Climate Change and Life: The Complex Co-evolution of Climate and Life on Earth, and Beyond. life on Earth and beyond).
The question is why, in reference to the ozone layer, a consensus was reached and it was fulfilled, but not regarding the burning of fossil fuels. “The same kind of international agreement has been built to reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, but unlike chemicals that destroy the ozone layer, fossil fuels are used in virtually every sector of the economy. worldwide, and eliminating them quickly has its practical effects and practical economic limits. This is why people often talk about “halving carbon emissions by 2030” or 2040 or 2050; It will take longer, and global societies have failed to wake up to the fact that dealing with the climate crisis now should have the same, if not more, urgency as solving the ozone crisis decades ago.” added Dr. Filippelli.
In the latest progress report on the Montreal Protocol, the UN-backed panel confirmed that nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances have been phased out.
If current policies are maintained, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values by 2040, the UN announced.
*Johani Carolina Ponce is a Venezuelan journalist who works with the organization Sachamama.org as Media Engagement and Public Relations Manager.