Ozone hole shrinks 30%...Thus proving scientists have no idea what's going on

[Juventus3]

I love CP environmental debates. So here we go.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/1...19-502-ak-0000

This crap about us taking bites out of the ozone is completely random. There’s no way scientists can measure our impact on different levels of the upper atmosphere.

That said…I'm still of the opinion that we need to greatly curb our consumption of energy and resources…But I think that’s one point everyone agrees on. At our current rate, we’d need 4 earths to sustain the planet.

[FlamesAddiction]

This isn't new. Scientists have known that the hole in the ozone layer contracts and expands all the time. The problem is that the ozone layer is thinning causing a larger hole when it expands.

The fact that right now the ozone hole is in the contracting portion of the cycle doesn't dispell anything about the thinning of the ozone layer in general... nor does this article state that.

[Bobblehead]

What a misleading title.

Nowhere in the article does it say scientists don't know what is going on. Nothing in your editorializing has anything to do with the article.

In 2006, the ozone hole at its biggest measured 10.81 million square miles; in 2007, it was 9.53 million sq. miles, or roughly the size of North America.

[CaramonLS]

I thought it was because we are reducing the use of CFCs?

Not sure what the usage rate is compared to when they were first introduced to now though.

[FireFly]

Yeah... the hole is shrinking since we stopped using CFCs.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Juventus3

This crap about us taking bites out of the ozone is completely random. There’s no way scientists can measure our impact on different levels of the upper atmosphere.

Sherwood Rowland might disagree with you.

Radley

[Dan02]

"This year's ozone hole was less centered on the South Pole as in other years, which allowed it to mix with warmer air, reducing the growth of the hole, because ozone is depleted at temperatures less than -78 degrees Celsius (- 108 degrees Fahrenheit)," he said.

Light the fires ladies, global warming is good for the ozone layer!!!

Funny title, mostly cause its true on some level, alot of the global warming research on both sides of the debate would be considered junk science in most other fields.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Juventus3

At our current rate, we’d need 4 earths to sustain the planet.

Says who?

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Dan02

Funny title, mostly cause its true on some level, alot of the global warming research on both sides of the debate would be considered junk science in most other fields.

Just curious. Do you have any examples? True. Not all research is good science, however, the work on the depletion of the ozone was exceptional work (for example).

Radley

[llama64]

Drawing conclusions from current Environmental scientific studies is dangerous. As a whole, humanity doesn't quite have a solid grasp on the complexity of the system. But, looking forward, becoming a greener society isn't a bad way to go.

There is potential that we have sped up the planets weather cycle and could cause tremendous damage to our civilization (the planet will recover just fine). Taking steps to minimize our environmental footprint cannot be criticized in any light as the wrong move. It's just a matter of whether it's worth the cost given our current knowledge.

People need to remember that science is a process, not a result. Theories get proposed based on empirical evidence and supposition, and then get proven write or wrong to various degrees. Most environmental science is based solidly on fact, which precludes it from being "junk science". The conclusions prophesied by various groups (political and otherwise) on the other hand, could be considered junk.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Just curious. Do you have any examples? True. Not all research is good science, however, the work on the depletion of the ozone was exceptional work (for example).

Radley

this is definately good work, however, at this point i would say that the Global warming and ozone layer are seperate debates. We know the causes and understand the consequences of the hole in the ozone layer.

I don't have specific examples atm, but the reports trying to scare people by that say the earth has warmed up so much since the 1980s, and yet completely ignore the fact the warming is at a significantly slower rate if you look at it vs say the 1940s when it was warmer, alot of cherry picking stats to try and prove their point. Perhaps i'll have time to find specific examples later today but its off to class now and i am not a global warming nay sayer, i believe it is happening and we are playing a part in it. gotta question how much is actually our doing though.