Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

The ozone layer, which protects the earth from short-wave ultraviolet rays, is expected to recover gradually within 40 years and the huge "ozone hole" over Antarctica will be filled, a UN-backed team of experts said Monday.

But scientists say ozone recovery is a gradual process that will take years. If current policies remain unchanged, the ozone layer is expected to return to 1980 levels by 2040, before the "ozone hole," the report said. By 2045, the Arctic ozone layer is expected to return to normal levels. By 2066, the Antarctic ozone layer may return to normal.

The scientific assessment, produced by researchers from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA and the European Commission, is published every four years. The assessment began in 1987 after the signing of the Montreal Protocol, which banned the production and consumption of chemicals that deplete the Earth's ozone layer.

The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere protects the planet from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, which has been linked to skin cancer, eye cataracts, impaired immune systems and damage to farmland.

Scientists and environmental groups have long hailed the global ban on ozone-depleting chemicals as one of the most critical environmental achievements to date and one that could set a precedent for broader regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate warming.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement: "Action to protect the ozone layer sets a precedent for action to protect the climate. Our success in phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals shows what we can and must also do to move away from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit temperature increases. "

Global emissions of the banned chemical chlorofluorocarbon-11 have been falling steadily since 2018, after several years of unexpected increases, scientists say. The report also found that chlorine, an ozone-depleting chemical in the stratosphere, had declined by 11.5 per cent since its peak in 1993, while bromine had declined by 14.5 per cent since its peak in 1999.

But scientists warn that human efforts to cool the planet by injecting aerosols into the upper atmosphere to reflect sunlight could dilute the ozone layer. At the same time, there is a need for further research into the impact of emerging technologies such as geoengineering.

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.