FCWR-161

Research paper

Why you don’t hear about the ozone layer anymore

In the 1980s, the ozone layer's depletion became a major environmental worry, posing grave

hazards to both human health and the ecology. A BIG DISASTER OF THAT TIME OZONE

HOLE. IT WAS AS BIG AS USA. With that ecosystem would collapse, skin cancer rates would

skyrocket and life as we knew it would cease to exist. However, today the ozone layer is healing.

In an unprecedented act, the world came together to prevent an environmental catastrophe. So

how did we do it? and what can we learn from it?

First of all, what is the ozone layer and why was it so important for our existence?

Ozone layer is a belt around the world made up of gaseous molecules. It protects every living

being by absorbing 2 types of UV rays from the sun. It is a powerful shield but it's also

fragile. In 1985 scientists discovered massive loss of ozone layer in the south pole above

antarctica. 40% layer had dissipated creating a hole. Every year it got worse.

At that time it was a wake up call.

“This was a wake up call. It wasn't small and far in the future. It was now and way bigger

than anybody ever imagined.” - Dr. Solomon.

In 1986,Dr. Solomon, atmospheric chemist, flew to Antarctica, along with other scientists, to

investigate the cause of the ozone hole. Some scientists released balloons into the sky to take
ozone measurements, while others took measurements on the ground. And they all came to

the same conclusion. The biggest problem was chlorine from a man made compound called

chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. On the ground, CFCs aren't harmful. But once they float up to

the stratosphere, the sun breaks them down into chlorine. They bind with ozone to make

oxygen and chlorine monoxide. Then the loose oxygen atoms bump the chlorine atom out,

freeing it to destroy more ozone molecules. And that causes a chain reaction.

The long lifetime of the chlorofluorocarbons is a big part of the problem. They live anywhere

between 50 and 150 years in our atmosphere. So means that every year that you use what you

use the year before is almost entirely still there. So it just builds up and builds up exponentially.

And back then, we used a lot of CFCs. The US. Had already moved away from CFCs in aerosol

cans, but most of the world hadn't yet, and they were still in everything from refrigerators and air

conditioners and styrofoam. The entire world needed to make a big change quickly, or we'd face

catastrophe. Unmitigated catastrophe.

In 1987, ozone levels had dropped by 50%. This growing threat led to some of the fastest

collective action on climate we've ever seen.

According to Dr. Solomon to solve any environmental catastrophe she thinks of these three P's,

that when they're met. We do very well at addressing environmental problems. So it was

personal, it was perceptible, and the solutions were practical. If you've been sunburned, you

know that skin cancer is not a good thing. So everybody understands skin cancer. The personal
nature of the threat is huge. And the perceptible-scientific proofs. With satellite measurements.

You can just watch the ozone layer get completely destroyed and go to zero, where there should

have been a lot of ozone. We have practical solutions. It was easy for scientists to find substitutes

for chlorofluorocarbons, breaking hands that took less than a year to do. It was a very

straightforward switch. And public was the main unifying factor. Therefore taking actions for

that catastrophe was not a disaster.

Scientists like Dr. Solomon held press conferences to inform the public. the media was informed

and everyone got to know about this disaster. Public panicked too because they were personally

related to this problem. And all this public awareness puts pressure on leaders around the world

to act.

Then our leaders made the Montreal protocol official. It recognized that worldwide emissions

can significantly deplete the ozone layer and result in adverse effects on human health and the

environment. It listed control measures to reduce ozone depleting substances in a series of steps,

including help for developing countries who need alternative technology and substituting

products. Every single country eventually signed the protocol, making it the only universal

treaty to ever be ratified and the most successful environmental agreement in human

history. Soon after, the world's largest CFC producer began to phase them out. Since the

protocol went into effect on January 1 1989, the consumption of ozone depleting substances,

including CFCs, plummeted. Today, more than 30 years after the Montreal Protocol was signed,

the ozone hole has stopped growing and it's now shrinking. And by 2065, it is expected to have

recovered completely. But there's more to be done.

Scientists estimate that if the Montreal Protocol had never been implemented, the hole would

have grown by 40 percent by 2013. Instead, the hole is expected to completely heal by 2050.

The journey from the initial ozone hole alarm to the amazing progress made in restoring the

ozone layer is highlighted in this scientific report. The ozone depletion situation was successfully

handled by international cooperation, collective action, and public awareness. The effectiveness

of international environmental treaties is demonstrated by the Montreal Protocol. However, to

ensure the full regeneration of the ozone layer and to meet upcoming environmental challenges,

vigilance and consistent efforts are essential. We can create the conditions for a resilient and

sustainable future by taking lessons from the Montreal Protocol's achievements.

WORK CITED

Erin Blakemore - The Ozone Hole Was Super Scary, So What Happened To It

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ozone-hole-was-super-scary-what-happened-it-

180957775/

Montreal protocol :

https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol

UNO - https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/while-ozone-layer-healing-pitfalls-remain

By Kira Walker- What happened to the world's ozone hole?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220321-what-happened-to-the-worlds-ozone-hole

Annie Sneed - Wait—the Ozone Layer Is Still Declining?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wait-the-ozone-layer-is-still-declining1/

Javier yanes - whatever happened to the ozone layer hole

https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/environment/whatever-happened-to-the-ozone-layer-

hole/
 ● Other Environmental Priorities:

a. Miller, Jon D., et al. "The Origins of Policy Issue Salience: Personal and National Importance,

Personal Concern, and Knowledge Effects on Perceived Urgency." Political Psychology, vol. 34,

no. 2, 2013, pp. 207-229.

● Perception of Ozone Layer Issue:

a. Brüggemann, Michael, et al. "Beyond False Balance: How Interpretive Journalism Shapes

Media Coverage of Climate Change." Global Environmental Change, vol. 29, 2014, pp. 133-144.

b. Wehr, Tobias, and Sebastian Jokisch. "The Agenda-Setting Power of New Media: A Study on

Environmental Coverage in Austrian Online News." Journalism & Mass Communication

Quarterly, vol. 93, no. 2, 2016, pp. 410-431.