Earth’s ozone layer is finally healing after decades of suffering depletion from overuse of aerosol sprays and other man-made chemicals.
According to a United Nations report in conjunction with NASA, the ozone has been making its comeback since scientists first sounded the alarm in the 1980s. Bans made by governments around the world on chlorofluorocarbons — the main culprit — have aided in the reversal.
The report predicts that the layer could be all but fully restored by the 2030s if it continues at its current rate. The only remaining gap would likely be a hole over the Antarctic that won’t disappear before the 2060s, according to the study.
“It’s really good news,” report co-chairman Paul Newman, chief Earth scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said, according to the Independent. “If ozone-depleting substances had continued to increase, we would have seen huge effects. We stopped that.”
The ozone layer protects the planet and its inhabitants from the Sun’s dangerous, cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.
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