


Terry Cullen
Jan 17, 2023
Global
Categories:
Environment, Ozone, Climate Change, Environmental Restoration, Health, United Nations, Cooperation, Collaboration
A panel of scientists convened by the United Nations said that the ozone layer is on schedule to recover from its depletion fully. The global recovery should be complete within the next forty years, according to this article from Yahoo News dated January 10, 2023.
The ozone layer, often called Earth's sunscreen, is a thin layer of gas in the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Scientists discovered severe depletion of the ozone layer in the 1970s caused by the release of artificial chemicals containing chlorine or bromine. The most recognized and abundant chemical type is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs; carbon, fluorine, chlorine compounds), first developed in the 1920s and 1930s. Some uses included refrigerants, air conditioners (freon), cleaning solvents, plastic foam, aerosol sprays, and blowing agents for packing materials. One atom of CFC could destroy 100,000 atoms of ozone.
The United States banned non-essential CFCs in 1979. The international community followed suit in 1984, galvanized by discovering a large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. That international agreement, entitled the Montreal Protocol, committed 180 countries to phase out the use of ozone-depleting substances. Scientists meet every four years per the Protocol to assess the ozone layer's condition.
There is an 8.91 million square mile (23.07 million square kilometers) hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Scientists say the thickness of the ozone layer will be restored to its 1980 level by 2040 for most of the planet, 2045 for the Arctic, and 2066 for Antarctica.
The Montreal Protocol demonstrates that countries can work together and achieve significant results to protect the natural environment. There has been so much discouraging news about the inability of the international community to take meaningful action to slow and reverse climate change. International cooperation is complex and challenging to achieve. Still, it is possible, and the Montreal Protocol may serve as a potent reminder that it is possible.
This story gives us insights into our local communities too. Creating positive and meaningful change in your local community must include collective, coordinated action. And that is difficult for most people to imagine. Surprisingly, the path is quite simple but not easy. But don't let that dishearten you from trying. There are many models for community change, and none can guarantee success, which is entirely understandable. Still, each follows a clear path that, if followed, can improve your chances of success.
One example is the Community Change Process and the CHANGE Tool from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (source listed below). There are five phases to the process, Commitment, Assessment, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Though the program's focus is public health, it provides a good model for other types of change, too, for example, such as environmental, educational, governance, and social change.
The most meaningful, positive, and long-lasting change will inevitably require collective action by a group of people, whether it is your local community or a community of nations. It will almost certainly take work and test everyone's resolve. You will learn deep-level meanings of perseverance, patience, collaboration, commitment, compromise, relationship building, and, yes, fear. Many successful community activists will tell you that some of the most remarkable change comes from within. If you are open and willing to learn from the experience, the positive growth you experience will affect all aspects of your life.
Don't be afraid to try. It could be one of the most incredible adventures of your life.
Photo by Elena Mohzvilo on Unsplash.
Source:
Source:

Catalog #:
0123.100.03.011723