Depletion of Ozone Layer

After reading the headlines about the serious depletion of the ozone and its consequences, I felt the need to further elaborate on some facts that are even more alarming than those stated in your story.

NASA’s findings stated that the ozone was being depleted at a rate twice as fast as previously thought. Ever since it was suggested that chlorofluorocarbons were destroying the ozone layer many people were skeptical and hesitant to do anything about it. Now that we find this to be true it may be too late. Your article failed to mention that of all the CFCs released since their inception many years ago “even if we stopped production cold today, the level of chlorine in the atmosphere will continue to rise until it reaches six times the current concentrations before leveling off.” Also, CFCs have an atmospheric lifetime of 100 years (Discover, August, 1987).

It probably won’t be long before more studies reveal the damage we are doing to our delicate environment. The next few years should bring concrete evidence regarding the “greenhouse effect” and I hope the findings are not as grim as those disclosed.

DON GILLESPIE

Los Angeles