• Question: how can we save the ozone layer

    Asked by katykat to Alice, Bose, Christian, Emma, Steve on 5 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Steve Marsden

      Steve Marsden answered on 5 Mar 2016:

      In short, sit back and wait.

      I’m really not an expert on this, but you got me wondering and I just read up on the topic. The main damage to the ozone layer was being made by CFCs. These are extremely stable molecules and contain chlorine. If these get into the upper atmosphere they are broken down by UV light, and the chlorine reacts with the ozone, lowering the total ozone content. About 20 years ago every country signed a treaty to stop producing CFCs, with production stopping in the last countries in 2010.

      Since 2000 the ozone has been improving steadily. It is expected that the ozone levels will be almost back to normal within the next 40 years.

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