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Article: Saving the ozone layer: thirty years ago, scientists fought to stop the destruction of Earth's protective ozone layer. Did their rescue effort work?(PHYSICAL: ATOMS)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- September 7, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Global warming is a hot topic today. But 30 years ago, the idea of pollution causing the planet to heat up was still a small blip on scientists' radar. Instead, their attention was on another pressing environmental issue: Earth's disappearing ozone layer. This layer of gas high in the atmosphere shields us from the sun's harmful rays.
In 1985, scientists at a research station in Antarctica made a startling discovery: a gaping ozone hole over the South Pole. The area of depleted ozone was caused by a group of human-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). At the time, CFCs were widely used in spray cans and as coolants in refrigerators and air ...