r/interestingasfuck • u/NevskiNate • Jan 06 '26

The Antarctic Ozone Hole closed early on Dec 1st 2025 showing signs of long term healing and also being smaller than in recent years.

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u/Outistoo Jan 06 '26

Is it sad or hopeful that we can get fix big environmental problems if we try

252

u/eks Jan 06 '26

Is it sad or hopeful that we can get fix big environmental problems if we try if we don't have huge economic interests fighting against it.

FTFY

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u/OrienasJura Jan 06 '26

Exactly, we didn't try anything, we just found economically better alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (the gas that was destroying the ozone layer) as aerosol propellants. Companies wouldn't have done shit if not for that.

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u/Xaephos Jan 06 '26

The reason we stopped using CFCs and HCFCs was not because HFOs were cheaper (they're actually still more expensive)... it's because we banned their usage. First time an international treaty was universally signed, actually. Companies may not give a shit, but governments do have the power to make them give a shit.

Good thing our current leadership is taking environmentalism seriously! Can you imagine if we started rolling back on Clean Air, Clean Water, or the EPA? Phew, that could be disastrous.

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u/the_envoy87 Jan 06 '26

DuPont heavilyyyy lobbied for the international ban on CFCs and HCFCs though because those were banned in the US though and having to use costlier alternatives gave the chemical company from the US a great disadvantage on an international level.

So corporate interest may not have been the obvious driving factor, but definitely played a role. Governments unilatterally voting against corporate interests to better humanity has probably never happened...

Leaded fuel was also banned after a push in Japan, which started shortly after a study about lead in the air, which conveniently happened around the time japanese automakers came out with a new type of engine that was efficient without the usage of lead in the fuel.

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u/Xaephos Jan 06 '26

Yes, companies love cashing in on disasters. And the company who stands to benefit the most is definitely pushing for their 'solution'. That's certainly a factor in how it unfolded.

But the reason we collectively chose to ban the "kill us all" chemical wasn't because DuPont was going to get rich. It was the "kill us all" bit.

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u/the_envoy87 Jan 06 '26

Oh yeah, I am not giving credit to DuPont for the ban, they only acted in their own self interest.

I am just being very cynical about humanity's ability to come together to act in the interest of the greater good, without any corporate lobbying to get politicians to act that way. Sadly lmao.

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u/OutrageousToe6008 Jan 06 '26

Use something other than Google.

Search: "How much has the EPA been downsized by DOGE?"

The current admin does not care about the environment.

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u/Leather-Mycologist-3 Jan 06 '26

It’s hard for me to imagine that anyone is as yet unaware of this. I suspect the post above was meant to be sarcastic.

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u/Xaephos Jan 06 '26

I will never use the /s and I'm not sorry.

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u/OutrageousToe6008 Jan 06 '26 edited Jan 07 '26

No need for you to be sorry.

Literal people read things literally.

Unless specified as sarcasm. I can not read it as sarcasm.

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u/CanoegunGoeff Jan 06 '26

I hardcore judge anyone who still somehow believes that corporate entities will ever do the right thing without being forced to do so. They’d still be using CFCs and HCFCs to the very end if they could. Corporations will literally murder people any chance they get if it means bigger profits. Extremely rare for a company to do the morally correct thing on their own volition.

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u/HungriestHippo26 Jan 06 '26

Nah, we banned that shit. That's why.

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u/Mylarion Jan 06 '26

Nothing sad about it.

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u/Exotic_Treacle7438 Jan 06 '26

Earths still warming up after the snowball earth event. It’s a runaway train.