Ozone layer slowly healing, expected to fully recover in 2066, UN reports
FOX NewsDEC 2022
Reports: Antarctic Ozone Hole Smallest, Shortest Duration Since 2019
Did the ozone layer recover naturally despite overblown fears, or does it prove that environmental regulations work?
Above: False color image of Antarctic ozone hole on Nov. 30, 1992. Image credit: Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images
The Spin
Climate-concerned narrative
The Antarctic ozone hole is shrinking because the world acted decisively to cut ozone-depleting chemicals. Satellite data and modeling show recovery is real and human-driven, with 95% statistical confidence — proof that treaties like the Montreal Protocol work when governments prioritize science over ideology. This is a clear victory for global cooperation and a blueprint for tackling other planetary crises.
Climate-skeptic narrative
The Antarctic ozone "crisis" was always overhyped, with decades of warnings about skin cancer, blind animals and uninhabitable cities that never came true. Observations show natural variation largely explains ozone changes, and the Montreal Protocol addressed a problem already resolving itself. This episode proves that alarmist environmental policies often exaggerate threats while restricting freedom and modern conveniences.