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Why you don’t hear about the ozone layer anymore

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In the ’80s, scientists discovered there was a hole in the ozone over the South Pole. Projections suggested it would collapse by 2050, increasing skin cancer rates, harming crops, and destroying the marine food chain. The situation was dire. So, why don't we hear about the ozone layer anymore? Vox breaks down how we managed to fix this huge problem.

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Watch the PBS documentary, Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet, to learn the story of the hole in the ozone layer — and how the world came together to fix it. The scientists and politicians who persuaded Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher to take action reveal how the planetary problem was solved.

For other examples of taking decisive action to solve an environmental problem, take a look at how scientists in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest transformed the major threat of acid rain into a minor issue. Or, let's talk about the Netherlands. After a brutal storm surge killed nearly 2,000 people, the Dutch government created the Delta Works, the most sophisticated flood prevention system in the world. Find out how it keeps the Netherlands above water, with this video.

Now more than ever, we need to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, and turn these ideas into action — get started with Earth School. Take the climate quizzes to build your personalized learning library. Each lesson in your library has been selected to help you build an understanding of how our planet works and exactly what it’s going to take to save it.

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