Ozone hole not closing as expected

Scientists are telling us that the ozone hole is not closing as they hoped it would after 100 countries signed the historic Montreal Protocol in 1987 that regulated the release of ozone-depleting chemicals worldwide. The hole allows UV radiation to penetrate the atmosphere, leading to an increase in cancer risk and other health and environmental problems.

The good news is that the expansion of the hole has stopped, and scientists still believe that the hole will gradually get smaller as time goes by. As part of the protocol, the release of almost all ozone-depleting chemicals is not only regulated but flat-out banned by the end of next year.

There's a lesson to be learned here. While it's easy for man to cause environmental problems by releasing excess chemicals and carbon into the air, it takes decades, if not centuries, for us to reverse or stop these effects. For more info on the ozone hole, check out this story from The Daily Green.