Unless you just
landed on the planet, you’re aware of the ozone hole above Antarctica. When
scientists discovered it in the mid 1980s, they were alarmed that we had a very
serious problem on our hands.
The ozone layer was being depleted. This layer of atmospheric
gas absorbed the sun’s ultraviolet rays and prevented every living thing on
earth from – well, frying. The culprits were chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
the coolant in cars, refrigerators, and air conditioners and propellants in
aerosols. Researchers scrambled to come up with suitable replacements, and,
through international agreement, CFCs have steadily been replaced with less
harmful refrigerants and propellants.
We came close to
doing some really harmful damage. But, because the world’s scientists knew how
to stop the depletion and were able to convince the planet’s leaders to take
action, the hole is slowly diminishing. Thinking back, it was amazing that we were
able to achieve such solidarity.
