When TikToker Emma (@simpleenvironmentalist) received a comment filled with misinformation, she knew she had to do something about it.
@simpleenvironmentalist Replying to @Mr_Don_Draper I hope you're a troll. Actually I hope you're dumb. If you're doing this for clout you need help #climatechange #ozone #climatedenial #disinformation #zerowaste #eco ♬ original sound - Emma ♻️🥾📚
The commenter doubted the planet's warming. "'It's here' but ice is growing?" the commenter questioned. "It's like in the 80s— they said the ozone would be gone in…5-7 years. Guess what — it's still there."
This comment misses some crucial information, which Emma quickly pointed out.
"You wanna know why the ozone is fixed? Because we fixed it," she said, noting how many people who deny the changing climate cite the (mostly) intact ozone layer as evidence.
In 1985, a hole in the ozone layer was confirmed above Antarctica, per the United Nations Environment Programme. According to the European Environment Agency, the ozone layer sits in the stratosphere about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) above the planet. Without it, life on Earth would be routinely exposed to the sun's harmful radiation, putting millions of people at risk of skin cancer and other issues.
Four years later, the Montreal Protocol — the only UN environmental agreement to be ratified by every country in the world — came into effect. Its goal was to phase out ozone-depleting substances.
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While the Antarctic hole isn't completely mended, it's healing up nicely, and it is expected to close by 2066. That's because governments acted swiftly, reducing usage of these harmful substances by 99%.
"It wasn't just a fluke," Emily said, "It wasn't just random. It was because we quit doing stuff to harm the ozone."
The Montreal Protocol teaches a powerful lesson — people can come together to heal the planet. While many people unfortunately believe that concern over the ozone layer was a myth, climate experts are thankfully able to separate fact from fiction.
Commenters appreciated Emily's efforts.
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Definitely 👍 "We don't have to be literal experts in everything, but we can absolutely believe scientists' opinions in their expert fields!" one commenter said.
"It's proof we have power to fix things," another added.
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