Thirty one years ago, on this day, September 16th, 1994,
Sept 16, 1994 – Montreal Protocol – To commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on September 16, 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Since then every year September 16 has been dedicated to the importance of preserving the protective ozone layer.
The ozone layer is a naturally occurring high concentration of ozone chemicals between 15 and 30 kilometers above the Earth’s surface (stratosphere). It covers the entire planet. By absorbing the sun’s harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, it forms an effective shield from the sun, protecting living organisms on earth from excessive UV-B radiation, which is found to cause cancer, cataracts, genetic damage and immune system suppression.
https://green-forum.ec.europa.eu/green-business/emas/international-day-preservation-ozone-layer_en
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 359ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.
The broader context was there had been concerns about CFCs and their impact on ozone since the early 1970s. Things moved along sharply after the “hole” was discovered in the mid-1980s.
The specific context was that the first COP was coming up, and I guess everyone hoped the same magic would rub off. But there were a few companies that made CFCs, and these companies were able to switch to similar other products, and get paid handsomely to do so. With carbon dioxide, it’s a little bit more complicated.
What I think we can learn from this: A false analogy with a hopey-changey hook can blind you to what the actual challenge is.
What happened next The ozone is recovering, says the UNEP. The carbon dioxide build up? Yeah, let’s talk about something else.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
Also on this day:
September 16, 2015 – Turns out big companies are ‘climate hypocrites’?