Who Won the U.S. Presidential Debate?

In 1974, scientists first sounded the alarm about the destruction of the ozone layer caused by human activities. Yet it would take several more years for the global community to reach a consensus on banning ozone-depleting chemicals.

At the time, Paul Crutzen and his research team played a pivotal role in bringing this issue to the world's attention. Today, the ozone hole is slowly healing, but progress is being hampered by the growing challenges of climate change.

In late November 1987, an issue of the German news magazine Der Spiegel sent shockwaves through the public. The headline the "The Ozone Hole" was emblazoned across the cover in large letters, set against a blue sky pierced by a gaping black hole and a giant spray can. This moment marked the first time that the German public truly grasped the severity of the situation: Earth was on the brink of an environmental catastrophe.

Just weeks earlier, the ozone layer over Antarctica had disintegrated across an enormous area for the first time—a crucial layer that, at 15 to 25 kilometers above the Earth's surface, acts as a protective shield in the atmosphere, filtering out harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from space. According to Der Spiegel, research flights had revealed that the ozone hole had expanded to an area the size of the United States.

In South America, sheep farmers reported their livestock going blind due to heightened UV exposure, and in Australia, TV stations began warning sunbathers about "Today's burning time"—the minutes until sunburn would occur.

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