Three British scientists shocked the world when they revealed on May 16th,
1985 –
25 years ago –
that aerosol chemicals, among other factors, had
torn a pointer; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_0″”>hole in the ozone layer
over the 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_1″”>South Pole.
The ozone layer,
which protects scroll 0% 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_2″”>life
on Earth from damaging none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_3″”>solar radiation, became an
overnight sensation. And the hole in the ozone layer became the
poster-child for mankind’s impact on the planet.

Today, the ozone
hole – actually a region of thinned ozone, not actually a pure hole –
doesn’t make headlines like it used to. The size of the hole has
stabilized, thanks to decades of aerosol-banning legislation. But,
scientists warn, some danger still remains.

First, the good news: Since the 1989 dotted rgb(54, 99, 136); cursor: pointer;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_5″”>Montreal Protocol banned the use
of ozone-depleting chemicals worldwide, the ozone hole has stopped
growing. Additionally, the ozone layer is blocking more cancer-causing
radiation than any time in a decade because its average thickness has
increased, according to a 2006 United Nations report. Atmospheric levels
of ozone-depleting chemicals have reached their lowest levels since
peaking in the 1990s, and the hole has begun to shrink.

Now the bad news: The ozone layer has also thinned over the http://www.livescience.com/environment/top10_polar_differences.html“>North
Pole. This thinning is predicted to continue for the next 15
years
due to weather-related phenomena that scientists still cannot fully
explain, according to the same UN report . And, repairing the ozone hole
over the South Pole will take longer than previously expected, and
won’t finish until between 2060 and 2075. Scientists now understand that
the size of the ozone hole varies dramatically from year to year, which
complicates attempts to accurately predict the hole’s future size.

Interestingly, recent studies have shown that the size of the ozone
hole affects the http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/if-global-warming-is-real-why-is-it-still-snowing-0480/“>global
temperature. Closing the ozone hole actually speeds up the
melting
of the 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_8″”>polar ice caps,
according to a 2009 study from Scientific
Committee on Antarctic Research.

So even though environmentally friendly laws have successfully
reversed the trend of repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_9″”>ozone depletion, the lingering effects of
aerosol
use, and the link between the ozone hole and pointer; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;” class=”yshortcuts” id=”lw_1273223566_10″”>global warming,
virtually
ensure that this problem will persist until the end of the century.