Does ozone layer depletion have anything to do with global warming and climate change?
The human health and environmental concerns about ozone layer depletion are different from the risks we face from global warming. Nevertheless, the two phenomena are related in certain ways. Some pollutants contribute to both problems and both alter the global atmosphere. Ozone layer depletion allows more harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reach our planet’s surface. While increased UV radiation is not the cause of global warming, it can lead to skin cancers, cataracts and a suppressed immune system in humans, as well as reduced yields for crops. Ozone layer depletion is mainly caused by chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. CFCs are therefore no longer produced in industrialized countries, and will eventually be eliminated worldwide. But like CO2, CFCs are also a strong greenhouse gas. CFCs can remain in the atmosphere for as long as a century, meaning that their contribution to both ozone layer depletion and climate change will persist for a long time.
