After 40 years of global efforts, the ozone hole above Antarctica is healing. The ozone layer provides protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation released by the Sun. A United Nations agency, The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released that the shrinking hole is the result of “decades of international cooperation in limiting the emission of greenhouse gases.” Some of the many benefits of a healed ozone layer are a reduced risk of skin cancer and cataracts, protection for ecosystems and animals and an overall reduction in global warming.
The WMO estimates the layer will recover to pre-ozone by 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the Arctic and by 2040 for the rest of the world.
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