Viewpoints Explained: A Global Threat That’s Slowly Fading

This is Viewpoints Explained…

Sometimes it feels like the news is one long string of hard headlines. From political drama to rising costs to economic uncertainty, it can feel like everything is moving in the wrong direction. But there’s good things happening too, and in 2026, we want to highlight more of these positive stories.

One example? The o-zone layer is repairing itself. And much faster than expected. Scientists now estimate that parts of the protective layer have stabilized and could return to 1980 levels as early as next year. The o-zone sits high in the stratosphere and shields us from the sun’s most harmful ultraviolet rays. Without it, there would be much higher rates of skin cancer, large-scale crop damage and the ocean’s ecosystems would suffer.

In the mid 1980’s, scientists traced the damage back to human-created chemicals used in aerosols, refrigeration, and industrial processes. Not long after, in 1987, nearly every country signed onto the Montreal protocol – an agreement to phase out o-zone-depleting chemicals including greenhouse gases. Over time, the rules tightened, industries shifted to safer alternatives, and new monitoring systems helped flag problems early. One of those was a surge in illegal CFC emissions from eastern China in the mid-2010’s that was quickly clamped down on.

Today, scientists say the o-zone layer is slowly rebuilding itself. The antarctic hole is no longer expanding and the upper atmosphere is thickening again. The full layer is estimated to completely heal by around 2066.

This positive success story is just one small reminder that progress doesn’t always make the top headlines – even when it’s happening on a global scale.