Growing up, I had read in school that there was this ozone layer surrounding the Earth that shields us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun and that it was being destroyed due to very harmful chemicals that we humans had used for decades.

Our activities have had a very harsh impact on mother nature especially in the last century. From global warming to climate change, we have made our own planet less suitable for our own survival. Blatant use of toxic chemicals and fossil fuels have been major factors contributing to that. 

Now, at long last, there is some good news on this front though. According to the scientists, the ozone layer is finally healing and it’s because of something we did three decades ago. 

What Was The Problem?

CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) were the main culprit behind the thinning of the ozone layer. It was used even before the second world war but it saw extensive use starting in the 1960s and 70s. CFCs were used as refrigerants, industrial solvents, propellants in aerosol among other uses. 

This heavy use of CFCs meant that there was an increased amount of this agent in the atmosphere which drift upwards towards the ozone layer. Before reaching the ozone layer however, it reacts with the ultraviolet rays and gets broken down which releases chlorine.

The ozone layer is made up of molecules called ozone which is a molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms and is quite unstable. When this molecule comes into contact with chlorine, it gets broken down into Oxygen and chlorine monoxide, thereby depleting the ozone.

What Was The Solution?

The solution came in the form of the Montreal Protocol of 1987 which was an international effort and one of the examples that shows what can happen if the different countries of the world actually come to work together towards a problem.

This treaty called for the control in production and consumption of different ozone-depleting substances. Back then, scientists had predicted that once the amount of these chemicals would decrease in the atmosphere, the ozone would start healing itself. 

Nearly after 30 years of the treaty, scientists found for the first time, an evidence of the ozone healing in 2016. They were tracking the ozone hole that appears every year over the continent of Antarctica and found that the ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometres. 

This shows that if we come together to work on a problem, setting aside our differences, we can come up with solutions that will benefit us all. The ozone layer maybe healing but the climate change and global warming are still looming problems and there are people who instead of trying to find solutions and help mankind, are actually denying of their existence. We all need to do our part to keep the environment and the Earth safe so that we can pass it on to the future generations in a better state than we found it.

Note: Image taken from the Public Domain