Old Fridges, Cars Slow Ozone Hole Recovery

The Antarctic ozone hole will probably take longer to heal than was previously thought. At the current rate of recovery, the hole won't fix itself until around 2065, some 15 years later than the generally accepted estimate. In the 1987 Montreal Protocol, many nations agreed to phase out the use of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, that eat away at the protective ozone layer when released into the atmosphere. But the amount of CFCs that linger on in old refrigerators, fire extinguishers, air-conditioning systems and other equipment was greatly underestimated. National Geographic News