The Ozone Hole and its Implications

Summary

Since its discovery in 1985, the ozone hole has captured the attention of scientists, policy-makers, and the public, and ozone depletion has become one of the landmark scientific issues of the twentieth century. The current state of understanding of the ozone depletion phenomenon will be briefly discussed, with a view to explaining the evidence for ozone loss, its attribution to human use of chlorofluorocarbons, and the steps taken in global policy decisions. Recent studies that have highlighted how changes in ozone affect the Antarctic climate not only in the stratosphere but also in the troposphere will also be described. Finally, some parallels and contrasts between the two very different global environmental issues of ozone depletion and global warming will also be discussed.

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