The ozone layer, located in the Earth’s stratosphere, acts as a shield that protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UVB) radiation. These radiations are high frequency waves which cause some serious damage to living organisms.
Ozone is a colorless gas and chemically it is quite active and reacts with many other substances. Near the surface of the Earth those reactions cause rubber to crack, sterilizes plant life, and damages people’s lung tissues.
In the late 1970’s, NASA scientists proved chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11) that were used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol cans were damaging the ozone shield. The depletion of the layer would have caused a surge of skin cancer and cataracts worldwide (Indeed, combined with climate change that would cause human skin to burn and blister within just minutes when exposed to sunlight.). “The chemical industry argued at the time that the science was uncertain, and more research was needed. But, in 1985, a gigantic hole appeared in the ozone layer over Antarctica, allowing dangerous levels of UV radiation to reach the surface”. By 1987 the Montreal Protocol was created to reduce the amounts of these man made chemicals and we avoided the 2050 apocalypse that would have ended life on the planet.
At the beginning of 2018, the world celebrated when scientific findings concluded that the Montreal Protocol had worked and that the ozone layer had begun to heal.
But now someone is cheating and putting the ozone layer into serious jeopardy once again.
Katherine Hignett of Newsweek writes:
CFC-11 emissions, the researchers found, have risen by a quarter over the last six years. Although countries have reported next to zero emissions since 2006, from 2014 to 2016, 14,000 extra tons per year were seeping into the atmosphere.
“I’ve been making these measurements for more than 30 years, and this is the most surprising thing I’ve seen,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientist Stephen Montzka, who led the new research published in Nature, told the Washington Post. “I was astounded by it, really.”
Data suggests the emissions culprit might be located in eastern Asia, but more research is needed to be certain, Montzka said in a statement.
“Somebody’s cheating,” Durwood Zaelke, founder of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development told the Post. “There’s some slight possibility there’s an unintentional release, but … [the study team] make it clear there’s strong evidence this is actually being produced.”
This rogue production of CFC-11 is harming the ability of the ozone layer to heal. It is believed by scientists that exposure of the findings just may cause the culprit to cease production of these chemicals. If not, the world will need to pinpoint the offenders and punish them accordingly per the rules of the Montreal Protocol.
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