Thursday, April 26, 2007

Progress In Closing Ozone Hole

A new EPA publication, Achievements in Stratospheric Ozone Protection: Progress Report highlights U.S. contributions toward healing the ozone layer. According to the report, the ozone layer has not grown thinner over most of the world since 1998 and the Antarctic ozone level is projected to return to pre-1980 levels between 2060 and 2075. Protecting the stratospheric ozone layer is estimated to produce $4.2 trillion in societal health benefits over the period 1990 to 2165.

Many ozone-depleting substances are also greenhouse gases, so replacing these substances with substitutes that are safer for the ozone layer can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.This September 2007 will mark the 20th anniversary of the landmarkProtocol to protect the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol on Substancesthat Deplete the Ozone Layer was adopted in 1987 and has been ratifiedby 191 countries.

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