1. Other than global warming and climate change, a very persistent threat looming over our planet has been the depletion of the ozone layer.
2. New studies, however, prove that global efforts towards the cause can make a considerable impact.
3. The studies point out that with the reduction in the emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals, Earth’s ozone layer is now healing itself.
4. The new study has been conducted by scientists at MIT, the University of Bristol, and other institutions across countries. Now published in the journal Nature, the research notes a dramatic drop in the levels of CFC-11 – the main culprit of ozone depletion.
5. CFC-11 is a chlorofluorocarbon that was most commonly used in refrigerators and in other insulators. Once released into the atmosphere, CFC-11 is able to reach the stratosphere and release chlorine by reacting with sunlight. The resulting chlorine used to break down the Earth’s ozone layer.
