Recovery is Possible: The Ozone Layer is Healing

By: Amanda Farlow

The ozone layer, a thin shield in Earth’s stratosphere, acts as sunscreen and protects us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It’s located just about 9 to 18 miles above our Earth’s surface and absorbs radiation to protect us from getting skin cancer, eye cataracts, and keeps our crops safe. A team of British scientists from the British Antartica Survey discovered a hole in the ozone layer was first discovered over Antartica in the early 1980s. 

Their research showed that the ozone layers dropped by nearly 40% in the springtime compared to previous decades’ levels. This was originally thought to simply be an equipment error but eventually deducted to be a hole in the ozone layer, mostly caused by human-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs for short, which break down ozone molecules. Extreme cold temperatures in Antarctica form polar stratospheric clouds that also break down ozone molecules – at a much faster rate. 

However, after decades of steady decline, scientists found that if current policies stay in place, the ozone layer is set to return to 1980 levels within the next few decades. This may seem far off in the future, but it isn’t too long. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, recovery could be complete by the 2030s. For the Southern Hemisphere, by the 2050s. And for the polar regions, which suffer from the most severe depletion, it may take until around 2066. 

The Montreal Protocol is solely to thank for the recovery of the ozone layer, as it created a step-by-step plan to reduce and eventually completely wipe-out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. It was created in September of 1987 in Montreal, Canada. Its main goal was to phase out the production and use of chemicals that damage the ozone layer, such as CFCs. Every member of the United Nations signed on, which made it the first treaty in UN history with universal ratification. It’s one of the most successful international agreements in history, and it’s the reason the ozone layer is healing today. When countries work together on global issues, recovery is possible.