thinning ozone

[Jim Devine <jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On the way to work, I heard a report on U.S. National Public Radio that
indicated that experts were shocked because the Arctic ozone layer was
thinner than expected: the expected recovery of that layer had been slowed,
where the recovery was expected because ozone-depleting chloroflourocarbons
(CFCs) had stopped being used.

I don't believe this. I thought that CFCs were still in use in many places
and that the replacement for them (HCFCs) also had negative effects on the
ozone layer. (There are still a lot of leaky old refrigerators and
air-conditioning units that have CFCs in them, right?) Also, is there any
evidence that the ozone layer is "recovering"?

inquiring minds want to know...

Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxx &  http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine