"In 1985 three British scientists announced their discovery of a massive hole in Earth's protective ozone layer that was opening every spring over Antarctica. The culprits, it turned out, were chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and certain other chemicals used in refrigeration and aerosol sprays."
"As people became alarmed about the possibility of rising skin cancer rates, nations met in 1987 to pass the Montreal Protocol and phase out CFCs. It was the first United Nations treaty to be universally ratified and was possible in part because of ready alternative chemicals."
"Even so, CFC levels have plummeted since the Protocol was enacted, and the ozone layer has begun a long, slow recovery. Threats to the ozone layer continue, from, for example, chlorine-containing molecules emitted by massive wildfires and aluminum oxide produced when satellites and other space objects burn up upon reentry into the atmosphere."
In 1985, scientists discovered a significant hole in the ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The Montreal Protocol, established in 1987, aimed to phase out CFCs and was universally ratified. Although threats to the ozone layer persist from other sources, CFC levels have significantly decreased since the Protocol's implementation, leading to a gradual recovery of the ozone layer. Ongoing concerns include chlorine from wildfires and aluminum oxide from reentering space debris.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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