How can ozone depletion be mitigated?

How can ozone depletion be mitigated?

• A. Increasing chlorofluorocarbons to balance atmosphere
• B. Releasing more ozone into stratosphere from ground level
• C. Replacing ozone-depleting chemicals with substitutes that do not deplete ozone, such as hydrofluorocarbons (though some may have greenhouse effects)
• D. Building more factories to produce aerosols

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that ozone depletion happens because certain human-made chemicals release halogen atoms (like chlorine and bromine) in the stratosphere, which catalytically destroy ozone molecules. The most effective way to slow or stop this process is to stop releasing those halogen-containing substances and replace them with alternatives that don’t release ozone-depleting halogens. Substitutes such as hydrofluorocarbons don’t contain chlorine or bromine, so they don’t participate in the ozone-destroying chemical cycles in the stratosphere. This directly reduces ongoing ozone loss, especially after policies phased out the worst offenders. It’s worth noting that some substitutes can contribute to other environmental concerns, like greenhouse warming, so the transition aims to pick options that minimize both ozone impact and climate impact where possible. The other ideas—creating more of the problematic chemicals, trying to “recycle” ozone from ground level, or expanding aerosol production—would either worsen the problem or do nothing to halt the atmospheric chemistry driving ozone loss.

The key idea is that ozone depletion happens because certain human-made chemicals release halogen atoms (like chlorine and bromine) in the stratosphere, which catalytically destroy ozone molecules. The most effective way to slow or stop this process is to stop releasing those halogen-containing substances and replace them with alternatives that don’t release ozone-depleting halogens. Substitutes such as hydrofluorocarbons don’t contain chlorine or bromine, so they don’t participate in the ozone-destroying chemical cycles in the stratosphere. This directly reduces ongoing ozone loss, especially after policies phased out the worst offenders.

It’s worth noting that some substitutes can contribute to other environmental concerns, like greenhouse warming, so the transition aims to pick options that minimize both ozone impact and climate impact where possible. The other ideas—creating more of the problematic chemicals, trying to “recycle” ozone from ground level, or expanding aerosol production—would either worsen the problem or do nothing to halt the atmospheric chemistry driving ozone loss.