There's+No+Good+Explanation+for+Why+Ozone-Ripping+CFCs+Are+Back

5/17/18 https://www.livescience.com/62603-new-cfcs-enter-ozone-layer.html

The article talks about how for the first time sinc e the 1980s, ozone-depleting CFCs have risen sharply upward in the atmosphere. However, this time the source is unknown. Ever since the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the global CFC production has been near 0. CFCs are molecules made up of carbon atoms linked to chlorine and fluorine atoms that render the molecule primarily nonreactive. These volatile chemicals, those that can evaporate easily, are significant in foaming devices such as fire extinguishers, refrigerators, and air conditioners. This topic relates to our course as we have discussed the effects of CFCs and other air pollutants on the ozone layer. The picture above shows the thinning of the ozone layer in the South Pole above Antarctica. What is surprising is that the hole that forms over that region every September was the smallest seen since 1988 according to NASA. As it is discussed in our textbook, CFCs are the primary culprits as each sunless winter, steady winds blow in a circular patter over the earth's poles. This creates a polar vortex that turn water droplets into ice crystals. These crystals collect CFCs and catalyze the chemical reactions that lead to the destruction of the ozone (Miller 522). I think it is interesting and essential that a discovery of this magnitude has happened. However, I find it hard to believe that a single source of CFCs is already having such a huge impact on the ozone layer when many other pollutants have needed greater synergistic reactions to barely destroy the ozone layer. As it is brought up in the article, I believe the idea of someone building a CFC factory is far fetched due to there being no reason to do that. This may just be a strange phenomenon that will reveal its secrets as time goes on and I think we should keep our eye on this in case in gets severely out of hand. This article relates to the Montreal Protocol of 1987. This international treaty was designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that were responsible for ozone depletion. CFCs were one of these substances that were phased out and it is interesting that they are coming back into the spotlight.
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