Ozone Hole

• Main Author: Hannigan, John
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781405165518.wbeos1442; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2F9781405165518.wbeos1442; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781405165518.wbeos1442

Ozone hole is one of the most striking and influential metaphors in contemporary environmental discourse. Not an actual “hole” as such, it refers to a progressive, seasonal thinning of ozone concentrations in the lower stratosphere provoked by a buildup of chlorine‐based compounds emitted by refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol spray cans. This results in the destruction of ozone molecules that protect us from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Harmful effects include an elevated risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and a weakening of the human immune system. The ozone hole was first dramatically depicted in an animated video created from longitudinal NASA satellite data, showing a precipitous decline in ozone concentrations over the Antarctic since 1960. The image of a “hole in the ozone” resonated widely with journalists, politicians, and the public. It played a central role in the passing of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, widely described as the most successful multilateral environmental agreement ever. Ozone levels in the stratosphere stabilized at the beginning of the millennium, but have since started to rise again, partly because the replacements for chemical compounds banned by the Montreal Protocol have proven to be less benign than expected.