It is not surprising Argentina has become a world leader in the effort to shrink the so-called ozone hole. During the coldest winters, the thinner-than-normal area of stratospheric ozone over Antarctica can expand to the size of North America and subject residents of Patagonia to intense ultraviolet radiation, raising their risk of skin cancer and cataracts. More unexpected, perhaps, is the aggressive stand other Latin American nations have taken against ozone-depleting substances. Spurred by what health experts say could be a tripling of skin cancer in Latin America in the coming decades, nations in the region not only have ratified the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, but have made impressive cuts in their use of ozone... [Log in to read more]
