Since the industrial revolution, our ability to revolutionize the world around us has become intense. Previously the impact on our planet was almost imperceptible. Recently, the effects of our increased activity have created a notable impact on the world. We have depleted the ozone layer and now we may begin to change the very climate system on which we and all life on Earth depend. It's as if we are experimenting with the future, but unlike laboratory experiments, we can discard it and start a new one if it fails, but altering the climate cannot be easily reversed. We will be forced to live with the consequences for a long time. Undoing what we've done to the ozone layer isn't that simple. What is the ozone layer? The ozone layer is a part of the stratosphere containing highly poisonous and strong-smelling O3 gas. Ozone is formed through the action of solar ultraviolet light on oxygen. Ground-level ozone is a health hazard. High concentrations of ozone at ground level are dangerous for breathing and can damage the lungs. However, the ozone layer prevents most ultraviolet and other high-energy radiation from penetrating the Earth's surface. Ozone has been depleting since the 1970s, but there is no concrete evidence that this has happened. In the mid-1980s scientists discovered that a "hole" had formed in the ozone layer in an area where ozone was up to 50% thinner than normal and that it occasionally forms in the ozone layer above the 'Antarctica. The hole in Earth's ozone layer continues to get bigger and bigger. Furthermore, it is foreseeable that the ozone layer will continue to thin into the next century. The ozone layer protects the planet from dangerous ultraviolet solar rays, without the ozone layer life would not be able to survive... middle of paper... the problem still exists. What is the government doing to help? 194 nations, including Canada, have signed an international agreement to end the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and other ozone depleting substances (ODS). The agreement is called the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987). Many scientists hope that the ozone hole will be completely repaired by 2050, simply by no longer using these chemicals. Finally, while we cannot completely stop the creation of ozone, we can help reduce it. To prevent ozone depletion, we can start by using energy-efficient appliances. Recycling and reusing materials can also help preserve the area. As well as convincing governments to ban the use of chlorofluorocarbons in industries. Stopping the use of CFCs is the most important step towards a safe environment in the future.