Friday, August 25, 2006
Ozone hole stable, say scientists
Leading scientists in the United States say the hole in the ozone layer of the Earth's atmosphere above the Antarctic appears to have stopped widening.
The ozone layer blocks the Sun's ultra-violet rays, exposure to which is harmful to humans, animals and plants.
International agreements were reached to end the use of ozone-depleting chemicals called CFCs after the hole was discovered in 1986.
It is hoped the hole may "heal" fully over the next 60 years.
Two of the scientists whose work helped alert the world to the existence of a hole in the ozone layer in the 1980s told a conference in Washington they were hopeful that the ozone layer was recovering.
"I'm very optimistic that we will have a normal ozone layer sometime, not in my lifetime, but perhaps in yours," said Dr David Hofman, who works for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as director of the Global Monitoring Division.
Dr Susan Solomon, of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said she was also optimistic.
...
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
