What can we learn from fixing the ozone hole?

In 1985 British scientist Jonathan Shanklin and colleagues
published a study that shocked the world. The study revealed a
hole in the Earth’s atmosphere right over Antarctica. It had been
caused over time by chemicals known as CFCs, used in things like
fridges, air conditioning units and aerosol cans. These were
destroying the layer of ozone in the stratosphere which protects
us from most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation - without it,
cases of skin cancer would soar. Less than two years after the
discovery, world leaders signed an agreement called the Montreal
Protocol, committing to phase out CFCs. It has been described as
the most successful international treaty of all time - every UN
country has signed up, and ozone is expected to return to its
previous levels around the middle of the century. So what can we
learn from how we tackled the ozone hole in how we address
climate change?


First broadcast - 29 Nov 2021


Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Jonathan
Shanklin, Meterologist at the British Antarctic Survey, Dr Paul
Newman, chief scientist for Earth Science at the Nasa Goddard
Space Flight Center, Tina Birmpili, former executive secretary of
the Ozone Secretariat, Dr Anita Ganesan, associate professor of
Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Producer:
Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes