Finally good news for the environment and a perspective of hope for the Planet. The researchers found that harmful gases that destroy ozone have seen a significant decrease: faster than you might think. It is the first time that such a clear decrease in substances harmful to the atmosphere has been found. And at the same time it is an important signal of how the commitment to regulation that limits their production and use. Confirming this important sigh of relief were the results of one research carried out by the University of Bristol, published in the scientific journal Nature.
The ozone hole is a problem that has long alarmed not only scientists. Starting from mid-nineties a thinning of the was recorded gas to protect the earth: the one that contributes to a cooling of the stratosphere. A layer that has gradually reduced due to the release of some into the atmosphere polluting substances such as chlorofluorocarbon gases (CFCs), used mainly in spray cans and refrigeration systems. All this allowed dangerous radiation to reach the Earth’s surface and caused a progressive increase in the temperature of the atmosphere. The peak occurred in 2021.
With the Montreal Protocol of 1987 – the international treaty ratified by 197 countries for the protection of stratospheric ozone – nations have committed to reducing the production and use of those substances that threaten the layer, in particular CFC gases: an example of exceptional international cooperation, which progressively, year after year, led to concrete results. In fact from 2021 to today harmful gases have decreased. A great result, which gives hope, “but the work is not finished yet”, he specified Luke Western, lead author of the research, explaining that there is still much to be done. However, «the results obtained with compliance with international agreements are truly very encouraging».
