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American Morning

Ask CNN: What Regions of the World are Most Susceptible to Ozone Thinning?

Aired April 20, 2001 - 09:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIANNA ACEBO: Hello, my name is Marianna Acebo, and I'm from Fayetteville, Georgia and my question is: Are there any areas in the world that are more susceptible to ozone thinning, and how will it affect us?

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT: The main problem with ozone thinning is the so-called ozone hole that opens up over the Antarctic each Antarctic winter. This allows more of the sun's ultraviolet rays to hit earth, and it can lead to higher rates of skin cancer and cataracts. This is a particular problem for parts of the world that are near that so-called ozone hole. For southern Chile, for example, for Australia.

Here in the United States, we've also seen an uptick in skin cancer rates, and a lot of people think that has something to do with the thinning ozone layer. Now, the thinning ozone layer is one global environmental issue that we've actually gotten together and started to solve. There is a treaty out there, and most of the developed nations of the world have signed it -- we've stopped making chlorofluorocarbons, which are the chemicals blamed for depleting the ozone layer.

However, things are going to get worse before they get better. Scientists say for the next few decades the ozone hole will continue to grow, but somewhere around the beginning of the 22nd century, they tell us they expect the ozone layer to be healed once again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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