In 1985, scientists reported a change in the atmosphere, a hole or thinning of ozone (臭氧) over Antarctica. Scientists were not sure what was causing.

Most scientists believe that man-made chemicals are destroying the ozone. They also have found signs of ozone loss in other parts of the atmosphere.

Ozone is found both in the air we breathe and in the upper atmosphere. Near the earth, ozone in the air is a danger to life. It is a waste product. But ozone found 10 to 50 kilometres up in the atmosphere protects life on earth. Ozone forms in the atmosphere through the action of solar radiation (太阳辐射). Once formed, the ozone blocks harmful radiation from reaching the earth. Scientists say a reduction in ozone and an increase in the harmful radiation will cause many more cases of skin cancer and will harm crops, animals and fishes.

The report said it is about 8 degrees colder 15 kilometres above earth than it was in 1979. Scientists think the first loss of ozone reduces the amount of solar energy the atmosphere can take in. This cools the atmosphere, increases ice cloud production and leads to more ozone loss.

Scientists found signs the ozone problem has spread. The study shows that the loss of ozone over the areas with larger population in North America and Europe was at least three times greater than scientists had thought. The ozone levels reduced much more seriously during winter months than in warmer months. This is not surprising because the amount of ozone in the atmosphere changes with the temperature.

An international effort is being made to stop the loss of ozone in the atmosphere. But many experts fear that the effort will not produce results fast enough to prevent harm to life on the earth.

There is a small but growing movement in America of households that want to reduce waste to zero. Zero Wasters, as they are called, help each other by sharing advice on blogs and social media. A number of people also have written recent books on the subject.

Bea Johnson is author of Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life. She said, “It may be too extreme for some people, but even if you can cut your trash down by even 20 percent, you’ll gain 80 percent of the benefits, like saving time and money for experiences instead of shopping for unnecessary stuff. It’s about a simpler life based on being, not having.”

Johnson said that reducing shopping means her family has more money for fun vacations. She said her family buys recycled things also. All their clothing, for example, comes from used clothing stores. She says that has reduced her household spending by 40 percent.

“We can get most brands on eBay and request that they be sent to us without any non-recyclable packaging,” she said.

Zero Wasters like to talk about five “R’s”: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. The first “R” stands for refuse. They refuse containers and plastic straws at restaurants. To this end, they either ask to use their own containers or request that things like food be wrapped in paper. Zero Wasters also seek to reduce the number of things they buy. They reuse household goods and recycle materials. They also try to compost, or rot, food material that can be used to enrich soil.

Amy Korst is another most popular writer in the zero waste movement. She wrote the book Zero Waste Lifestyle: Live Well by Throwing Away Less. She noted that once food is buried under plastics and other things in, for example, a landfill, it no longer composts as it normally would. She said that is why it is so important to cut down on using things made out of plastic and separate things that can be broken down from other trash. She recommended residents to contact the local sanitation department in understanding how to recycle. Officials there will be able to advise about what can be recycled and how to do it.

Scientific reports show the destructive effects of climate change, but many scientists say it is important to remain positive. If the world continues to change, don’t give up, and we can still prevent some of the worst effects of climate change.

Recently, however, many scientists are dealing with the feeling of doom about climate change or “doomism.” Jacquelyn Gill is a climate scientist at the University of Maine. She says that around 2018 she noticed an increase in these “doomers,” or people who think that saving the earth is hopeless. They refuse to change their behavior or consider how they can work to prevent climate change.

The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently published its third report. This report explained the damage caused by the burning of traditional fuels, like oil and coal. New investments in traditional fuels and removal of forests for farming are preventing the world from helping stop climate change.

Anderson is the Environment Program Director for the United Nations. She says officials are trying to get people to take action because there is a climate crisis. Their goal is not to scare people into doing nothing.

“We are not doomed, but rapid action is absolutely essential. With every month or year that we delay action, climate change becomes more complex, expensive and difficult to overcome,” Andersen said.

The UN IPCC report stated that without fast and extreme measures to cut carbon pollution, the world is not likely to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The global temperature has already increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius. After 1.5 degrees, climate change will quickly worsen causing environment to be in danger. It will cause an increase in weather disasters.

James Skea is a leader from the UN IPCC Report. “We don’t fall over the cliff at 1.5 degrees. Even if we were to go beyond 1.5, it doesn’t mean we throw up our hands in despair,” Skea said.

Michael Mann is a climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University. He says that scientists used to think Earth would continue to warm decades after we balance emissions. Balancing emissions to net zero means not creating more carbon in the atmosphere than oceans and forests can remove. New research suggests that it will only take a few years to decrease carbon levels in the air after we balance emissions.