DailyDirt: Out With A Whimper

Our planet's environment is in a delicate balance with the ecosystem that's largely invisible. We have a thin ozone layer protecting everything from harmful UV rays. Plants seem to be doing a great job of supplying breathable oxygen. It's a bit concerning when human activity throws off something in the atmosphere on a large scale, but we might be able to do something about it. The first step, though, is admitting that we have a problem.

• Snow-dwelling algae on glaciers might be a problem someday. Pink snow looks a bit unusual, but the algae that grows on frozen ice in a visible amount -- is also making that snow melt faster. And we probably don't want glaciers melting any faster than usual in the next few decades.
• What ever happened to the hole in the ozone layer? The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has been significantly reduced, and the hole is expected to heal itself by 2050 -- thanks to the Montreal Protocol passed in 1987.
• The reduction of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution has had a tangible effect on soil acidity -- finally. It's taken over two decades for regulations aimed at curbing acid rain (by limiting sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from coal-fueled power plants) to start showing some positive results in the environment.

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