Hopefully the rapid depletion of the ozone layer has been reversed
A recent study coming out of Sweden has shown that the speed at which the ozone layer is depleting has leveled off, even possibly reversing slightly. It’s definitely a good sign, and shows that the global reduction of CFC use has quite likely had a considerable impact on reducing the damage caused by human interaction with our environment.
Unfortunately, studies like this can often have an adverse effect. CFC use and CO2 use are two very different problems, which require different solutions. Many may read current media reports surrounding this study as a sign that we are somehow winning the battle against climate change – unfortunately, this is just not the case.
Whilst it is heartening to see that a collective effort such as that which has surrounded reduction of CFCs in the atmosphere can have a positive impact, the depletion of the ozone layer is a problem that is dwarfed by other environmental concerns that our current lifestyles are causing. We should definitely see this as a great sign, but there is so much more to be done and it is important not to let some small amount of good news distract us from the larger issues at hand.
I definitely recommend that you check out the article over on Science Daily – it goes into a lot more detail about the study and the findings that were made. Hopefully, further studies will coroborate these findings and show that through combined effort we do have a chance at reversing some of the damage that we have done.
However, I believe that the larger climate change issues cannot be solved through similar tactics but instead require a more lateral-thinking approach. Given the development of many different economies around the world, and the open reluctance by many already developed countries to really cut back where it counts, it really does seem that climate change is going to be one of the greatest challenges that humanity faces over the 21st century.
It’s quite likely going to be a game-changer. The world as we know it may change to such a radical degree that we really have no point of reference for the difficulties that lie ahead. Now, more than ever, we need to realise that global society as a whole must face these challenges together in order to ensure that political, economic, and social chaos does not result from the drastic shift in our environment that will likely be seen within our own lifetimes.
[ad name=”Google Adsense-Link Banner x4″]
