Protecting the Ozone Layer as a Statement of Hope?

 

                                      © NASA

 

The ozone layer, a thin shield of gas, is seen from space.

O Lord, our Sovereign,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger. 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established; 
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

 Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,

all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

                                                   Psalm 8 NRSVue

Do you remember the ozone layer? That's a silly question really because it makes it sound as though this layer of the stratosphere which protects the Earth from the Sun's ultraviolet rays is something from the past. It is still vital for the wellbeing of all living creatures and it's been in the news lately. Atmospheric scientists reported recently that the huge hole in the ozone layer which was discovered in 1985 continues to shrink and may be mended by 2040. I'm now into the "do the math" stage of life and this would put me into my mid-80s, if I should survive that long, but this is about the health of the planet my grandchildren will inherit from generations such as mine which have messed up a lot.

The other reason that the ozone layer is on the media radar is the 35th anniversary of what is called the Montreal Protocol. According to a news release by the United Nation: 

The Montreal Protocol was signed in September 1987and is a landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the consumption and production of nearly 100 man-made chemicals, or ‘ozone-depleting substances’ (ODS). The overall phase-down has led to the notable recovery of the protective ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. “The impact the Montreal Protocol has had on climate change mitigation cannot be overstressed,” said Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the UN Environment Programme’s Ozone Secretariat. 

This protocol was and is remarkable in that nations came together quickly, they set hard targets to reduce the offending substances, and to this day it has been 99% effective. 

Around the time of the 35th anniversary there was another gathering in Montreal, the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Again,governments from around the world came to an agreement called the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. The hope is that this will be a historic global framework to safeguard nature and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, putting nature on a path to recovery by 2050.

It is so tempting to shrug our shoulders in despair or indifference over the complexity and enormity of addressing the climate emergency and the calamity of the loss of biodiversity. Even as Christians this can all seem overwhelming and discouraging. Some "species" of Christianity simply ignore or dismiss the issues because God is in charge. Others are earnestly aware but may feel helpless to make a difference. 

There is nothing in scripture about the ozone layer, and it's unlikely that many if any people in the times when the bible was written had an inkling that the Earth was a sphere with a remarkable protective envelope around it which allowed the intricate web of Creation.

I come back to Psalm 8 and the awe expressed for the heavens above and the diverse creatures which inhabit the planet. There is also an invitation to employ human agency to ensure that all will thrive. The term "dominion" is used, which is not to be misinterpreted as reckless domination and hubris, which is what has happened in the past 250 years. We are called to responsible stewardship as humble children of the Creator. 

Will December 2022's Montreal Protocol 2.0 be recognized as a planet-changer, the way the 1987 accord was? I hope so and pray so. I would suggest "go and thin no more" but who needs another Dad Joke?