How We Shrunk The Ozone Hole 🕳️

Morning CFCs!

Remember the whole ozone hole thing? Probably not, you’re all too young.

So, here's a super quick rundown of what happened.

It was the 1980s.

Some smart people had just discovered that there was this MASSIVE hole in the ozone layer of our atmosphere.

Right over Antarctica.

Now, the ozone layer is super important because it protects us from UV Radiation.

And UV radiation… causes skin cancer.

The worst part?

The hole was getting bigger…

And bigger…

And BIGGER…

Not very good.

So… what the heck was going on?

Well, it turns out this whole problem stemmed from little chemicals in deodorant bottles called:

Corporations had discovered these new wonder chemicals by the 1950s.

They were stable, non-flammable, non-toxic, meaning they wouldn’t burst into flames for no reason and, of course, they were pretty dang cheap.

So they began being used EVERYWHERE:

Usage quickly skyrocketed, pumping millions of tons of the stuff into the atmosphere.

Ok, ok, so what was the actual problem with these things?

Well, in the lower atmosphere CFCs are fine.

They don’t break down and they don’t react with any other molecules, they’re just chilling.

It's when they keep rising into the stratosphere that the problem…arises.

Because once it gets up there, UV light starts to break the CFC molecules apart.

Releases a bunch of chlorine atoms.

Which then go on to react with nearby ozone molecules, breaking them apart.

Scientists were like “this is a problem”

Companies producing CFCs were like “you’re wrong… and probably communists”

Politicians were like “we can’t decide what to do… short-term economic goals or long term not having skin cancer everywhere”

But luckily in the 1980s US president and UK Prime Minister got together and decided to sort this mess out.

Eventually the US, UK, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland led calls for an international BAN on CFCs.

And in 1987, it actually happened.

197 of 197 countries in the world signed something called the Montreal Protocol, requiring the rapid phasing out of CFCs.

Literally everybody agreed, which never freakin happens.

And you know what… it worked.

We phased out CFCs and replaced them with a safe alternative.

And since then, the ozone hole has started shrinking.

And is predicted to disappear completely by 2070.

World saved!

Stay Cute,
Reece, Henry & Dylan 🌈

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