Things are Looking up for the Ozone

Today I read an article called Ozone hole at smallest size in decades by Erin Wayman. This article was about how every year around this time, scientists travel to Antarctica to measure approximately how large the hole in the ozone layer of the atmosphere has become. This year they found something quite surprising, the hole has actually shrunk instead of grown.

The ozone layer is the layer of the atmosphere that protects us from ultraviolet radiation which is given off by the sun. O September 22nd, the ozone hole grew to its largest seasonal size: 21.2 million square miles. That may sound huge at first, but in reality that's the smallest the whole has been since 1990.

Satellite measurements made by NASA and the NOAA put the average size of the 2012 ozone hole at about 17.7 million square kilometers, the smallest since 2002. The hole is mainly caused by reactions between chlorine and other man made substances. Frigid temperatures help to promote this damage however, because of our exceedingly mild winter, the damage was lessened quite a bit.

I personally found this article to be quite intriguing and uplifting. I had always thought the ozone would just continue to break apart for the rest of days but this gives me a new hope that the earth may have a chance.

Even though man had no influence on the shrinking of the whole, I still feel its a sign that we are doing something right and should continue our efforts to make this planet as healthy as possible. If every person could double their efforts, I know the ozone hole would continue to shrink and provide a better life for the earth and her inhabitants.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346068/description/Ozone_hole_at_smallest_size_in_decades