Frequently asked questions
- What is the greenhouse effect?
- What causes the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- Is the greenhouse effect related to the hole in the ozone layer?
- How do scientists measure and predict climate change?
- Is the scientific information reliable?
- What are the expected changes to Queensland's climate and weather?
- How can Queensland adapt to the expected climate change impacts?
- What can you do?
For more answers to common questions, see:
Is the greenhouse effect related to the hole in the ozone layer?
Global warming and ozone depletion (the ozone hole) are two different problems, but chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions play a role in both, and climate changes may worsen ozone depletion.
Chemical reactions involving the synthetic gases, CFCs and some other ozone-depleting substances are breaking down the ozone layer above the earth. As a result, more of the sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth, increasing our risk of skin cancer.
CFCs also act as powerful greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere by trapping heat energy that would otherwise escape to space. Some CFCs can remain in the atmosphere for many centuries before being broken down, so their contribution to both global warming and ozone depletion is likely to persist for a long time.
The hole in the ozone layer could also be made worse by global warming if the upper reaches of the Arctic atmosphere get colder - a predicted consequence of climate change. The rate of ozone depletion could, as a result, be three times greater than currently forecast.
CFCs and related substances are controlled under a treaty called the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, which was signed by 27 countries on 16 September 1987 in Montreal, Quebec.
Last updated: 17 August 2006