Ah, hello! Your blog has really helped my climate anxiety, but I have a question. Is the ozone layer actually repairing itself, and does this mean we’re doing something right? Or is this just something that won’t have any impact. Thank you so much for what you’re doing 😊😊
Hey there, love :)First of all, thank you so so much! You have no idea how much it means to me to know that I’m actually helping people out there. I think, in order to act and to work towards something (in this case, helping our planet), we have to have hope. Without it, the fear will paralyze us, and we wouldn’t be able to move and to act.
About your question. The ozone layer is repairing itself, and has been for quite a few years. Here’s some background: In 1985, scientists discovered a huge hole in the ozone layer above the South Pole. Now, why is that a problem? Because the ozone layer absorbs most of the sun’s (dangerous) ultraviolet radiation, which can cause cancer, seriously damage crops, and more. The reason for this hole in the ozone layer was discovered to be man-made chemicals, called chlorofluorocarbons, that were used in things like aerosols and refrigerants.. This whole realization caused a huge environmental scare in the 1980′s, and so, in 1987, 180 countries signed the Montreal Protocol, agreeing to completely ban CFC’s in order to prevent additional holes from forming. In January 2018, a study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, which used data from NASA’s Aura satellite, has stated that there has been 20 percent less ozone depletion in the Antarctic since 2005, according to scientists. In November 2018, a UN report came out, and started that the ozone layer is healing itself, and by the 2030′s, the Northern Hemisphere could be fully repaired, with Antarctica following in the 2060′s. Now, the problem is not entirely solved yet, there are parts of the ozone layer that haven’t healed, but this is still very good news!
According to what I read (and I’m not an expert of any kind, guys), the hole in the ozone layer is a problem caused by humans, but doesn’t have anything to do with global warming. They both are caused by human activities which release pollutants into the atmosphere. Like I said, the hole in the ozone layer is caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons (found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants), but global warming is caused by putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when coal, oil, and natural gas are burned to generate electricity or to run our cars.
So the ozone layer repairing itself is amazing and so, so important, but doesn’t have an impact on global warming, though it does have an impact on our health.
The way I see it, though, is that the ozone layer repairing itself after humans stepped up shows that humanity (and countries) are capable of working together in order to save ourselves. It’s happened in the past, therefore, it can happen again. We are doing something right. Awareness to this issue has been rising. Many countries, cities, and even people, have started working in order to fix what we have broken. Yes, there is hope, there always, always, is.
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