Ozone layer no longer depleting

MayberryMayberry Regular
edited January 2011 in Life
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/green-guide/scientists+ozone+layer+depletion+stopped/3535408/story.html

GENEVA - The protective ozone layer in the earth's upper atmosphere has stopped thinning and should largely be restored by mid century thanks to a ban on harmful chemicals, UN scientists said on Thursday.

The "Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2010" report said a 1987 international treaty that phased out chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) -- substances used in refrigerators, aerosol sprays and some packing foams --- had been successful.

Ozone provides a natural protective filter against harmful ultra-violet rays from the sun, which can cause sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer as well as damage vegetation.

First observations of a seasonal ozone hole appearing over the Antarctic occurred in the 1970s and the alarm was raised in the 1980s after it was found to be worsening under the onslaught of CFCs, prompting 196 countries to join the Montreal Protocol.

"The Montreal Protocol signed in 1987 to control ozone depleting substances is working, it has protected us from further ozone depletion over the past decades," said World Meteorological Organisation head of research Len Barrie.

"Global ozone, including ozone in the polar region is not longer decreasing but not yet increasing," he told journalists.

The 300 scientists who compiled the four yearly ozone assessment now expect that the ozone layer in the stratosphere will be restored to 1980 levels in 2045 to 2060, according to the report, "slightly earlier" than expected.

Although CFCs have been phased out, they accumulated and persist in the atmosphere and the effect of the curbs takes years to filter through.

The ozone hole over the South Pole, which varies in size and is closely monitored when it appears in springtime each year, is likely to persist even longer and may even be aggravated by climate change, the report said.

Scientists are still getting to grips with the complex interaction between ozone depletion and global warming, Barrie explained.

"In the Antarctic, the impact of the ozone hole and the surface climate is becoming evident," he said.

"This leads to important changes in surface temperature and wind patterns, amongst other environmental changes," Barrie added.

CFCs are classified among greenhouse gases that cause global warming, so the phase out "provided substantial co-benefits by reducing climate change," the report found.

Barrie estimated that it had avoided about 10 gigatonnes of such emissions a year.

However, the ozone-friendly substances that have replaced CFCs in plastics or as refrigerants - hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) -- are also powerful greenhouse gases.

HFCs alone are regarded as 14,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the focus of international efforts to tackle climate change, and HFC emissions are growing by eight percent a year, according to UN agencies.

"This represents a further potential area for action within the overall climate change challenge," said UN Environment Programme chief Achim Steiner in a statement.

Good to see that we can get results if efforts are made. It'll take awhile for it to fully recover, but the important thing is that it is recovering.

Comments

  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    See like I said humans arent doing anything to cause this. All this climate change stuff is just the natural course of events.
  • MayberryMayberry Regular
    edited September 2010
    Well, it's hard to say that humans have nothing to do with it. We live in the enviroment, and interact with it. The question isn't if humans are causing climate change, it's whether or not what we do is significant enough to be responsible for it. It's like taking a poo. You're dirtying the water, but are you dirtying all the water? Definitely not.
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    Mayberry wrote: »
    Well, it's hard to say that humans have nothing to do with it. We live in the enviroment, and interact with it. The question isn't if humans are causing climate change, it's whether or not what we do is significant enough to be responsible for it. It's like taking a poo. You're dirtying the water, but are you dirtying all the water? Definitely not.

    Well yeah of course we have some effect but I dont think it's how some of the environmental whack jobs make it out to be. Some people make it sound like that movie the day after tomorrow is 10 years away when its not. I just dont honestly think were having that profound of an effect on the world. Especially when I see a guy like Al Gore hype up the whole issue then bam there in a huge mcmansion with private jets all from the money by the poor saps that bought into his scare propaganda.
  • MantikoreMantikore Regular
    edited September 2010
    i think one of the problems of this issue is people on both sides exaggerating results.
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    Mantikore wrote: »
    i think one of the problems of this issue is people on both sides exaggerating results.

    This is true. It just seems like the pro global warming people are the ones getting wealthy off the scare tactics.
  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited September 2010
    See like I said humans arent doing anything to cause this. All this climate change stuff is just the natural course of events.

    The scientists said humans were the cause of the problem :facepalm:.
  • jarkofjarkof Regular
    edited September 2010
    Yeah no offense but the scientists said that man made and used chemicals were responsible for the ozone layers problems and thenceforth the ozone layers problems cause global warming. In another subject they also think population will hit a standstill at about 12-14 billion people and that people will day at the same rate as people being born. I do not have a site for this but my environmental scientist teacher(Working environmental scientist) shows us all these studies. But yeah you are quite right both side way over exaggerate but that goes for everything. Feminism, PETA, and all kinds of others go way to far to prove points that sometimes dont even exist.
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    jarkof wrote: »
    Yeah no offense but the scientists said that man made and used chemicals were responsible for the ozone layers problems and thenceforth the ozone layers problems cause global warming. In another subject they also think population will hit a standstill at about 12-14 billion people and that people will day at the same rate as people being born. I do not have a site for this but my environmental scientist teacher(Working environmental scientist) shows us all these studies. But yeah you are quite right both side way over exaggerate but that goes for everything. Feminism, PETA, and all kinds of others go way to far to prove points that sometimes dont even exist.

    I can guarantee you if man destroys earth it wont be because of our cars and aerosol's. Just follow the money with all this global warming environmental non sense and it all becomes pretty clear whats really happening.
  • stormyweathersstormyweathers Acolyte
    edited September 2010
    ^global warming is a single of many environmental issues
    if you truly believe that CFCs didn't contributes to ozone depletion, then you are retarded
    case and point

    i'm not surprised that someone who sounds so arrogant and ignorant has the confederate battle flag as his avatar and links the KKK in his signature

    scum
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    ^global warming is a single of many environmental issues
    if you truly believe that CFCs didn't contributes to ozone depletion, then you are retarded
    case and point

    i'm not surprised that someone who sounds so arrogant and ignorant has the confederate battle flag as his avatar and links the KKK in his signature

    scum

    U mad? Anyway I'm not saying humans have no effect on our environment but I do not believe were causing this catastrophe that the liberals keep talking about. Global warming and all this is normal throughout the world history. You cant deny the wealth of someone like Al Gore didn't have to do with lies and exaggerations about the environment. Humans will not destroy the world with our cars trust me. I also like how questioning global warming makes me scum.:rolleyes:
  • thewandererthewanderer Regular
    edited September 2010
    However, the ozone-friendly substances that have replaced CFCs in plastics or as refrigerants - hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) -- are also powerful greenhouse gases.

    HFCs alone are regarded as 14,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the focus of international efforts to tackle climate change, and HFC emissions are growing by eight percent a year, according to UN agencies.

    So we're still melting but at least we dont have to worry about cataracts :rolleyes:
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited September 2010
    So we're still melting but at least we dont have to worry about cataracts :rolleyes:

    Were not melting. The temperature goes up a fucking tenth of a degree and the libs freak.
  • edited September 2010
    Mantikore wrote: »
    i think one of the problems of this issue is people on both sides exaggerating results.

    I don't think you need to exaggerate climate change to be worried about it. I mean, chances are that most of us will only experience price changes on various goods, but people living in certain regions will have to move due to changing water levels, and the third world is going to experience an amazing shitstorm that will probably translate into floods of poor, homeless immigrants for people living in more developed regions.

    However you look at it it's going to suck and it'd be cool to try and avoid/lessen it.

    EDIT: But it's cool that the Ozone layer is alright again. Now we won't have to experience 98% more ultraviolet rays. :thumbsup:
  • jarkofjarkof Regular
    edited September 2010
    Ok I am just going to jump in and say one last thing. In the last 100 million years the earth has gone from cold to frozen to warm to blistering hot and then to cold again. It will always go through a cycle. Yes we mess with the cycle and speed its process or simply slow it down so yes humans and as well all living creatures are at fault for the spiraling livability of the earth and the control of its atmosphere but as always it will round a corner and come back. Our planet has survived for 4.3 billion years. Its not about to just drop dead because of some stupid factors. However it does take time and I mean millions of years for the planet to create what we use to survive and we are using it up. We do need to find other ways of powering things. But as for the earth's atmosphere opening up enough to kill a human it is nigh impossible. Can happen but only after millions of years of damage. That is my say in this whole thing. Now if you have complaints or remarks pm me because I dont get on totse very much anymore due to my schooling and there is a slight chance I wont make it back to this thread.
  • abrnabrn Abrn
    edited October 2010
    I heard on the radio today: "Hey remember that hole in the ozone layer? Whatever happened to that?" I'm pretty sure it was just a part of what Michael Chrichton calls "The State of Fear", where the media, economy, and goals of the nation at large are influenced by bullshit. Word of mouth/media spreads rumors about shit like global warming and the ozone hole, neither of which exist, because we are ruled and fueled on fear.
  • edited October 2010
    abrn wrote: »
    I heard on the radio today: "Hey remember that hole in the ozone layer? Whatever happened to that?" I'm pretty sure it was just a part of what Michael Chrichton calls "The State of Fear", where the media, economy, and goals of the nation at large are influenced by bullshit. Word of mouth/media spreads rumors about shit like global warming and the ozone hole, neither of which exist, because we are ruled and fueled on fear.

    Except the hole in the Ozone layer is/was real, as scientists had been studying and measuring it for a long time.

    And it would be a really big deal if more holes were to form, as the majority of the suns ionizing radiation would no longer be absorbed by the upper layers of our atmosphere. They would come straight through and usher in a new age of skin cancer and radiation-related deformities and defects. The sun ain't nothing to fuck with.
  • da teachada teacha Regular
    edited October 2010
    The fact is that a lot of the shit humans do has negative consequences for the environment. All this hype about sea levels rising and destroying cities, or the end of the world coming, is probably the only way to get the idiot public to listen. If all this hype helps reduce the damage humans do to our living space, then what's the problem?

    Some people are getting rich from it, so fucking what? People are going to get rich no matter what initiatives are proposed. I'd rather those who care for our planet to have money and power, as opposed to those who don't give a fuck.

    About the scale of the effect humans have. Nobody knows. But is it really worth gambling the future of our planet just for a little bit of luxury?

    Finally, anything which increases efficiency of resources should be encouraged.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited November 2010
    Don't worry about it. God said he wasn't gonna fuck the world over anymore since the great flood of Noah. He wouldn't BS you.....He's a merciful god.
  • edited January 2011
    For anyone interested the chemical reaction that goes along with this depletion of the Ozone goes like this. [Keep in mind that CCL3F is a manmade molecule that would not occur in our atmosphere be it that humanity never came down to the ground to start building roads and factories ect]

    1. CCl3F+UV light -> CCL2F + Cl then
    2. Cl + O3 (ozone) -> ClO + O2 then
    3. ClO + O -> Cl + O2
    4. Step two is repeated
    5. Step three is repeated

    You can see why this is incredibly dangerous to have reactive free radicals jumping around from reaction to reaction without inhibition. Studies have shown each Cl molecule participates (on average) in 100,000 of these O3 destroying reactions. It is a good thing we permabanned this shit because we came preeeetty close to widespread die offs.
  • AD2011AD2011 Acolyte
    edited January 2011
    I think it's pretty clear that CFC's were responsible considering that the hole was discovered during their use and then it recovered once we banned their use.

    Also who would even know their use was stopped? We still have aerosols and things worked as they used to, we just aren't fucking the atmosphere with them anymore...or at least to the same extent.

    How that equates to making someone rich I don't know.
  • SlartibartfastSlartibartfast Global Moderator -__-
    edited January 2011
    The Ozone deleting had nothing to do with global warming.

    That was all about the chemicals (ChlorofFuoroCarbon's) we used in cooling devices being released into the atmosphere, reacting with O3 and breking it down.
    We banned them, mainly because there was better cheaper alternatives - nothing to do with 'the common good', and it fixed itself.

    I had the equation memorised a while back but i've forgotten it now. ( EDIT: it's in an above post)
  • AD2011AD2011 Acolyte
    edited January 2011
    ...nothing to do with 'the common good', and it fixed itself.

    Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control gave a directive to cease their use

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon#Phase_out_of_CFCs
Sign In or Register to comment.