This episode is brought to you by Sun Express Airlines.

Looking for an affordable escape for the whole family, Sun Express has you covered.

Early birth deals to Turkey start at just 5999, fly non-stop to Sanyantalia or Scenic Ismia.

Perfect for making family memories.

These low fares won't last long so book now tan later at sunexpress

dot com and secure your seats today it's tuesday january 17th twenty 23 I'm Jackson Bird today. It looks like the ozone layer is on track to be restored in just a couple of decades, plus an opportunity to get paid for donating your stool samples. Yes, really. And an examination of the 19th and 20th century

phenomenon of Tom Thumb Weddings, aka elaborate fake weddings for small children. Here's some

cool stuff for your ride home. Well, this is a fairly huge story that I somehow missed last week. According to a new

report from the United Nations, the Earth's ozone layer is on track to recover in the coming

decades. Now, the hole in the ozone is not a major cause of the climate crisis, so this doesn't mean

everything is fixed, far from it, but it's still very reassuring.

Quoting the BBC, the ozone layer is a thin part of the Earth's atmosphere that absorbs most

of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

When it's depleted, this radiation can reach the surface, causing potential harm to humans and other living things.

Ultraviolet rays can damage DNA and cause sunburn, increasing the long-term risk of problems such as skin cancer.

The ozone layer began depleting in the 1970s. Chlorofloricarbons, or CFCs, which were commonly found in

spray cans, fridges, foam insulation, and air conditioners were blamed for eating away at the ozone layer.

A gaping hole in the layer was discovered by scientists in 1985. Just two years later, the Montreal Protocol was signed, with 46

countries promising to phase out the harmful chemicals. End quote. And now, 99% of those ozone-depleting

substances have been phased out. And if the bans on those substances remain, the UN report says that the ozone layer

should return to its pre-1980s condition by 2040. That is, the whole would essentially be healed.

And specifically, they expect the ozone to be restored to that condition in about 2040 for most of the world, 2045 over the Arctic,

...