It will take another 60 years for the ozone layer to fully recover… According to predictions from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
 |
Protecting the Ozone Layer |
Although the ozone hole, which protects life on Earth, is gradually shrinking, it will still take another 60 years for the ozone layer to fully recover to its state in 1980.
Measurements from NASA indicate that the ozone hole measured between mid-September and October 2005 was 24.3 million square kilometers, a significant reduction from the 26.4 million square kilometers recorded in 1998.
However, the rate of shrinkage of the ozone layer has slowed down.
The reason is that the amount of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are harmful to this protective layer of Earth, is still being released into the atmosphere at levels higher than scientists had predicted.
Of the total amount of CFCs released, developed countries account for over 50% of emissions, even though these countries have been banned from using CFCs since 1987.
