Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, were found to be attacking the ozone layer over Antarctica. The Montreal Protocol was a breakthrough agreement that controlled production and consumption of these substances. It took time for international experts to agree on how to deal with the problem.
A UN report has found the Earth’s ozone layer is on course to be healed within the next 40 years. What was once humanity’s most feared environmental peril is now an example of how the world can take collective action. Madeleine Finlay speaks to atmospheric scientist Paul Newman about this momentous achievement and whether it really is the end of the story. Help support our independent journalism at
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