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Ozone layer shows signs of recovery: scientists
My Way News ^ | May 3, 2006 | Patricia Reaney

Posted on 05/03/2006 4:44:30 PM PDT by Nachum

LONDON (Reuters) - The ozone layer is showing signs of recovering, thanks to a drop in ozone-depleting chemicals, but it is unlikely to stabilize at pre-1980 levels, researchers said on Wednesday.

Depletion of the earth's protective ozone layer is caused by the chemical action of chlorine and bromine released by man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used in aerosol sprays and cooling equipment.

Ozone-depleting chemicals were banned by the 1987 Montreal Protocol which has now been ratified by 180 nations.

"We now have some confidence that the ozone layer is responding to the decreases in chlorine levels in the atmosphere due to the leveling off and decrease of CFCs," said Dr Betsy Weatherhead, of the University of Colorado in Boulder.

"Not only is the ozone layer getting better, we feel it is due to the Montreal Protocol," she added in an interview.

The depletion of the ozone layer, which absorbs most of the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, increases the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans and may harm crop yields and sea life.

Despite the signs of recovery, Weatherhead, who reported the findings in the journal Nature, said people should still protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet rays.

Weatherhead and Signe Bech Anderson of the Danish Meteorological Institute in Copenhagen analyzed data from satellites and ground stations and information from 14 modeling studies.

They found that ozone levels have stabilized or increased slightly in the past 10 years. But full recovery is still decades away.

The researchers said depletion has been most severe at the poles and to a lesser extent at mid-latitudes covering bands of North America, South America and Europe.

Shifting temperatures, greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide (N20) and atmospheric dynamics, which can influence ozone levels, are going to change in the future, they added.

"Therefore we really don't think ozone is going to stabilize back to its pre-ozone-depleting-substance levels," Weatherhead said.

Volcanic activity on Earth also has an impact. The 1993 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines caused ozone levels to backslide for several years, according to the researchers.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: layer; of; ozone; recovery; scientists; shows; signs
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1 posted on 05/03/2006 4:44:32 PM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum

No doubt recovery is due to two factors:

We have cut way back on hair spray and spray paint.


2 posted on 05/03/2006 4:46:15 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: Nachum
Did they ever stop to consider that the holes might be the natural state of affairs and that the period without them was the aberration?
3 posted on 05/03/2006 4:46:53 PM PDT by Ingtar (Prensa dos para el inglés)
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To: Nachum



So, can I tan now?


4 posted on 05/03/2006 4:50:13 PM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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To: Nachum

Ain't Science and Scientists wunnerful?


5 posted on 05/03/2006 4:56:07 PM PDT by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
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To: Nachum
Dr. Weatherhead...

something in a name? LOL

The ozone hole expands/contracts/expands/contracts - been doing it longs I can remember - and I'm a great granny

6 posted on 05/03/2006 5:00:41 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: Nachum
"Volcanic activity on Earth also has an impact. The 1993 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines caused ozone levels to backslide for several years, according to the researchers."

Oh, it was only one of the dozens of volcanos and the CFC's that did it. I wonder if they are even aware of all the volcanic activity going on right now?

7 posted on 05/03/2006 5:02:29 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
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To: Don Corleone

These people make real scientists look bad.


8 posted on 05/03/2006 5:04:10 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
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To: maine-iac7
You must share an amazing ability with these scientists.

You can find data where there is none. IIRC it was the late 80s before they had good ways to measure statospheric ozone (good enough to see the south polar 'hole' anyhow).

9 posted on 05/03/2006 5:05:06 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: Nachum
Volcanic activity on Earth also has an impact. The 1993 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines caused ozone levels to backslide for several years, according to the researchers.

I think sunspot activity also has an effect.

10 posted on 05/03/2006 5:07:34 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: Steve Van Doorn
The 1993 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines caused ...

a helluva cold summer that year! and wicked winters

11 posted on 05/03/2006 5:11:08 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: Amelia
I think sunspot activity also has an effect.

Yep -

there was almost no to low sun spot activity during the coldest part of the Little Ice age - (about the mid 1300's to 1770's) and we are now heading into a high sun spot activity period...scientists (not the ones goreBore talks too) say that we are experiencing (and have been for the past 70 years) more sunspot activity than in the past 8000 years.

better get goreBore suited up. He needs to get up there and do something about it.

12 posted on 05/03/2006 5:23:17 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: truth_seeker
We have cut way back on hair spray...

Thanks to John Edwards' loss...

13 posted on 05/03/2006 5:42:20 PM PDT by NCjim (The more I use Windows, the more I love UNIX)
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To: Nachum

Ooooooh Nooooooo! What are the enviro-whackos going to do now ..??


14 posted on 05/03/2006 5:56:15 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Drive-by Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
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To: Dinsdale; maine-iac7
Actually, I recall a National Geographic story (perhaps the cover?) in 1957, for the International Geophysical Year, that discussed the increasing size of the Antarctic ozone hole.

Back then, we had no envirowackos and it got no hysterical press attention.
15 posted on 05/03/2006 7:32:37 PM PDT by reformedliberal
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To: reformedliberal

:o)


16 posted on 05/03/2006 11:52:52 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: Nachum

Could it be that we are not "punching six holes a year through it" with rockets going to view the damage of the ozone layer?

In my opinion most NASA flights of the shuttle caused more damage than all the R12 that was ever sold.


17 posted on 05/04/2006 3:52:14 AM PDT by hadaclueonce (shoot low, they are riding Shetlands.....)
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To: CyberAnt
Ooooooh Nooooooo! What are the enviro-whackos going to do now ..??

Did you read the article? It's because of environmental policies (insisted on by whackos - your term) that the levels have stabilized. Morons like you give conservatives a bad name. Next time, just don't comment. Sheesh...

18 posted on 05/04/2006 8:22:10 AM PDT by Greg Rn (The root of "conservative" is "conserve")
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To: Greg Rn; CyberAnt

And a heartfelt welcome to a very brand new poster, Greg Rn... /s

It is not good form to engage in name calling on your very first post.


19 posted on 05/04/2006 8:39:27 AM PDT by bwteim (Begin With The End In Mind)
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To: maine-iac7

But...........but............... who will protect us from "Man-Bear-Pig"?


20 posted on 05/04/2006 9:12:13 AM PDT by fella (Respect does not equal fear unless your a tyrant.)
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