What has been done to protect the ozone layer?
Through extensive research, scientists identified the human-produced chemicals that are responsible for the destruction of stratospheric ozone. As evidence emerged on the extent of the threat to the ozone layer, the international community agreed to control ozone-depleting substances and schedule a timetable for completely phasing them out. This agreement is known as the Montreal Protocol and is a monumental achievement in international cooperation and environmental protection. Furthermore, the protocol provides for an on-going process so that, as the scientific understanding of ozone depletion improved, the phasing out process could be accelerated. The agreement also provides a powerful precedent for similar international efforts to deal with global warming and loss of biodiversity. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency is charged with enforcing the terms of the Montreal Protocol. The treaty provisions are given the force of law through the Clean Air Act of 1990. A
