The ozone layer is expected to fully recover by 2075!

Crisis averted! The hole in the ozone was actually smaller in 2009 than it was in 2008. The size of the hole actually depends on weather. The hole was found over Antarctica in the 1980s and tends to form in August. It is at its biggest in late September or early October and recloses in December.

Quick overview: the ozone layer is important to us, because it shields us from harmful ultra-violet rays. The damage to the ozone layer is so bad, that experts estimate it won’t fully recover until the year 2075. The ozone layer filtering out the ultra-violet rays protects us from sunburns, skin cancer, and even cataracts.

It also protects vegetation from being overexposed and damaged. Pollutants are to blame for the hole, too. Most of the chemicals are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol of 1987. The chemicals linger in the atmosphere for years, though. This is a good example of the world coming together and solving a major environmental issue in a really short period of time. Hopefully we can do that again if we ever need to.