With all of the recent polarization, it is important to remember that we as humans can do amazing things.
In the last couple of decades, we concluded that the ozone layer was being depleted, and that if we didn’t come together and stop our use of CFCs, we wouldn’t have a habitable planet. What ever happened to the ozone layer? Why haven’t we heard about it in a while?
Basic Ozone Layer Science | US EPA
In an Earther article entitled “The Ozone Hole Could Heal in Our Lifetimes, UN Reports,” Brian Kahn mentions:
A decades-old international treaty to ban ozone-depleting chemicals has led to their decline and “much more severe ozone depletion in the polar regions has been avoided.” There’s still work to be done, but this definitely falls into the Good News category.
Paul Newman, a scientist who helps run NASA’s Ozone Watch and chaired the UN report, told Earther:
We’re at the turnaround point.
There are concerns that scientists continue to monitor, as mentioned in the article:
The first is a mysterious uptick in CFC-11, a chemical that was banned under the Montreal Protocol. Though outlawed, research published earlier this year showed that it’s been on the rise since 2012. Most signs point to China as the culprit of the illicit emissions, and it will have to be stopped to keep the recovery on track.
The point is, when we come together as a human race to prevent global issues, we can make a difference. Just think if we could rally in this same way to deliver against global warming goals. What would the world look like?
Reality Changing Observations:
1. How did the CFCs ban affect your family?
2. What could we do to rally support around fighting climate change like we did the ozone depletion?
3. How could you personally help to drive more awareness of climate change?
