Posts Tagged ‘bromine’

Nitrous Oxide: Top Ozone-Depleting Chemical of the 21st Century

The destruction of the Earth’s protective ozone layer (and the growth of the “hole” in this layer over the South Pole) due to the action of human-made chemicals was the leading environmental issue of the last century (entering the public lexicon sometime in the mid 1980’s), and no doubt prompted wider concerns about “greenhouse” effects and global warming that occupy so much climate science reporting today. The main (or most publicized) culprit of this ozone loss was a chemical called [...]

How Nature Fights Greenhouse Gases

Nature is not entirely defenseless against rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A class of elements called halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc., often occurring in pairs) are emitted into the atmosphere via ocean spray, where they destroy ozone (O3), a significant greenhouse gas and aerosol that promotes warming.

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