Environmental news that doesn’t make me frightened and bitter? Wow, talk about rarities. I guess the sun does shine on this little rock of ours sometimes. Though, in this case, it’s less sun that’s the good news.
According to a new report from the United Nations, the hole in the ozone layer that’s melting Antarctic ice has actually begun to gradually repair itself. Granted, when I say “gradually,” I mean “probably not until 2060 at the very earliest,” but it’s a start. According to the report, an old treaty that banned the use of ozone-depleting chemicals, the Montreal Protocol, has actually begun to reap some positive benefits. Thanks to the removal of harmful chemicals in aerosol cans and air conditioners, the ozone depletion that has occurred has been a lot less severe than it could’ve been. The hole has actually been trying to fix itself since the early 2000s, though the pollution that’s still occurring has obviously been hampering that. As long as humanity continues its efforts to remove harmful chemicals and reduce greenhouse gases, we could return to pre-hole conditions in 40 to 50 years, possibly less in some regions.
As long as nobody does anything stupid, we might just be able to return to the safe, protective atmosphere we once had. I’d like to really, really stress that first part.
