In further proof that environmental protection policy actually does work, scientists have found evidence that the hole in the ozone layer is finally shrinking. The hole was first created when we started leaking chlorofluorocarbons from air conditioners and solvents into the atmosphere. The toxic chemicals ate away at the layer of the earth’s atmosphere that protects us from deadly UV rays. Depleting the ozone layer would be bad news for humankind indeed, and so the Montreal Protocol was enacted as soon as people figured out we were attacking our planet’s natural sunscreen. We’re now seeing results that suggest preventing people from spewing toxic chemicals into the air is a good thing.

The hole isn’t actually a hole, per se, but an area above Antarctica where the ozone has thinned to an alarming rate. I always thought that ozone damage was like the skin damage it caused: irreversible. Turns out the atmosphere has ways of healing itself. Since we stopped the production of CFCs, the ozone hole has decreased in size by 15 percent from its maximum. Environmental scientists at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia have been studying the size of the ozone hole and confirm that even in the face of natural yearly fluctuations, it has been decreasing.

It’s great to hear that our planet has ways of snapping back from all the things we do to it. Laws that prohibit excessive pollution might actually serve to heal the planet and not just prevent future damage. The Montreal Protocol is a wonderful example of people recognizing an environmental mistake, taking steps to correct it, and seeing results over time. Efforts to promote sustainability and environmental protection may have stronger and longer-lasting effects than we think. Granted, not everything in nature will revert back to its original form once damaged, but the natural world is constantly evolving. There may be more ways to protect nature and help the planet heal if only we can enact the right laws.

(via LiveScience)