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Report: Ozone Layer Shows Signs Of Recovery

earth-screensaver_largeYes, we actually have some good news to report about the environment. The United Nations has issued a report with NASA photos showing that the giant hole in Earth’s ozone layer is shrinking. The ozone layer protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and was being destroyed by the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Over vehement objections from industry that curtailing CFCs would destroy the economy, new laws forced the use of substitutes and the result has been predictable and encouraging.


Industry fought to stop the ban on CFCs for decades even though scientists linked CFCs to the ozone depletion in the 1970s. In 1987, the world reached a phase out agreement as part of the Montreal Protocol. Industry and various politicians denounced the agreement as a disaster for the economy and jobs. Instead, it quickly forced the creation of alternatives, which are now in wide use.

Here is the result:

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It is not done however. It will take until 2050 for the ozone layer in the mid-latitudes to return to relatively healthy 1980s conditions. Around the Antarctic, where the ozone layer is the most damaged, it will take until 2075. However, humans actually made a sacrifice and produced a beneficial result for their planet. Now that is worth celebrating.

Source: Washington Post

142 thoughts on “Report: Ozone Layer Shows Signs Of Recovery”

  1. Climatologist Dr. Judith Curry warns of decades of possible global cooling: Suggests the ‘current cool phase will continue until the 2030s’

    Curry spoke at the National Press Club in Washington DC on September 16 at an event sponsored by the George C. Marshall Institute

    Curry warned of possible global cooling. “We also see a cooling period starting around the turn of the (21st) century.” She also suggested that the “current cool phase will continue until the 2030s.” [Also see: Scientists and Studies predict ‘imminent global COOLING’ ahead – Drop in global temps ‘almost a slam dunk’]

    “Even on the timescale of decade or two, we could end up be very surprised on how the climate plays out and it might not be getting warmer like the UN IPCC says,” Curry noted.

    “We don’t know what’s going to happen. All other things being equal – yes — more carbon dioxide means warmer, but all other things are never equal,” she emphasized.

    “We just don’t know. I think we are fooling ourselves to think that CO2 control knob really influences climate on these decadal or even century time scales,” she added.

    “I view the [climate change] problem as a ‘big wicked mess,” Curry told the crowd at luncheon assembled. “The main problem is we are putting the policy cart before the scientific horse,” Curry said.

    Curry believes the United Nations has distorted the research of global warming and shifted too much on carbon dioxide as the “control knob” of the climate system. “Climate scientists have focused primarily on greenhouse gases,” Curry noted, linking that focus on the IPCC’s focus and the funding streams available to scientists who focus on CO2.

    “Other factors relatively neglected,” Curry declared.

    http://judithcurry.com/2014/09/16/jc-at-the-national-press-club/

  3. The hiatus in the rise in global temperatures could last for another 10 years, according to new research.
    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28870988

    The problem if it does last for another 10 years is this. The actual temperature baseline recorded regardless of HOTTEST ON RECORD HOTTEST ON RECORD is already far below what Hansen, the Global Warming models and the IPCC predicted. If it last for another ten years neither will have any credibility left.

  4. There has been no statistical Global Warming for at least 17 years.

    This is now known as “The Pause” and has climate scientist looking for answers. There are currently 23 different explanations with the latest one being the heat has been transferred below the surface of the Atlantic. Last year it was because it was below the surface of the Pacific.

  5. Sea Level Rise since recorded by satellite has seen an increase of 1 inch in 10 years. At this rate, barring catastrophic melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic it would take 120 years to rise one foot. Most sea level rise recorded along the coasts is due to Land Subsidence. The Marshall Islands would be covered up by now.

    http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2011-262

  6. By the way it looks like the SW Permanent Drought forecast by the Worlds Leading climate scientist may be over as Tropical Storm ODILE set to dump copious amounts of rain over the region next several days.

    1. Joe Blow – the rainfall in the SW will not end the drought but it will make a dent in it. Depends a lot on where it falls.

  7. 1/3 of the Nation is suffering a drought.

    Go Back to the Palmer Index and compare your 1/3rd of nation in drought to the 1935 to 1940 time line and then comeback to talk to me. Over half the country was in drought.

  8. PS Dr Viner Lost his Job at the CRU because since then the Northern Hemisphere has experienced some of the highest snowfalls on record over the last 10 years. Great Lakes (Plural) over 90% frozen last year and Niagara falls froze over twice.

    WHY ? Global Warming

    So first Global Warming creates Less snow because Winters are getting warmer but then it creates more snow because there is more moisture in the air and winters are getting colder.

  9. But how can Global Warming lead to more snowfall when snowfall is suppose to be a thing of the past where children just won’t know what snowfall is, he said. Snowfall will become a very rare and exciting event.

    “However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”.

    “Children just aren’t going to know what snow is,” he said.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html

  12. Darren
    When I hear people say “renewables can’t work” or “baseload” I’ll now have Vermont to point at…

  15. Joe Blow
    Please read the following for your answer.
    Last Month Was the Hottest August on Record
    http://www.planetexperts.com/last-month-hottest-august-record/

    The August data comes from NASA’s Global Land-Ocean Temperature Index and, as Schmidt wrote in an email to Weather.com, the anomaly is 0.70ºC above the 1951-1990 baseline temperature average, putting it “basically in a statistical tie” with 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

    Considering that 13 of the last 14 years have been the hottest on record, that does tell us something about the planet’s long-term trend. Namely, it’s getting pretty hot.
    (continued)

  17. Peter Gleik via Twitter

    The PMDI (drought index) for California is off the charts (in a bad way) for entire >100yr record.

  18. Darren
    I ‘was’ gonna put another Peter Gleik tweet up showing the California drought index but saw the one you just fixed… (shakes fist at twitter) “Damn you hashtag!”

  19. Darren
    Even with that 1940 blip… the trending is confirming the science.
    ANY investor would call that a sure bet!

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