Doubled in size since the eighties

[theking]

On a typical day here in December, the solar stoplight was set at orange, the second highest of four levels, and people were warned to limit their exposure to the sun between noon and 3 p.m. to 21 minutes at most.
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"When the light is red, I don't let my kids go out to play at all," Liliana Navarro Torres said, referring to Kimberley, 6, and Jonathan, 4. "They don't like it much, and sometimes it drives me crazy to have them running around the house, but that's the way it has to be when you live here."
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The growth of the ozone hole is attributed largely to chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, that were widely used in aerosol sprays and refrigerants until a 1987 agreement was reached to phase them out. But scientists also say that global warming may be contributing to the phenomenon.
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During much of the 1990s, there was resistance here to accepting signs that the risks to people were growing. The warnings of scientists like Bedrich Magas of Magallanes University, one of the first to emphasize the potential dangers, were dismissed by locals who feared a drop in tourism.
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But that changed in September 2000, when the ozone hole opened directly over Punta Arenas. The Socialist government responded with a far-reaching prevention and education program that has become visible everywhere.
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"It's a new way of living," said Lidia Amarales Osorno, the regional director of Chile's Health Ministry in Punta Arenas. "You'll see the solar stoplight posted in supermarkets, offices and schools, and we even have an ozone brigade to raise consciousness about this problem."
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In elementary schools, a giant penguin named Paul leads a permanent campaign to teach children the steps they need to take to protect themselves. Many schools also hoist a flag each morning to alert their pupils' families of the expected level of ultraviolet rays. In some poor neighborhoods, free skin creams are distributed to youngsters.
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"But the truth is that there is only so much that we can do here ourselves," Amarales said.
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To everyone's surprise, the situation has been relatively mild this year. The ozone hole split in two for only the second time since monitoring began, with only the smaller part passing over Punta Arenas. Winds have been calmer than usual, and the hole has begun to retract earlier than usual.
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But scientists in the region warn that the problem may persist until the middle of the century and may worsen through the decade. Scientists have also reported the appearance of smaller ozone holes in central Chile, and health officials say that the incidence of melanoma, the most common form of skin cancer, in Santiago, the country's capital, increased by 105 percent between 1992 and 1998.
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Because solar radiation reaches the ground at a more acute angle here than in places farther north, Punta Arenas may actually be at less risk than other parts of Chile. But this time of year, atmospheric scientists from all over the world flock here, drawn by the opportunity to study a rare and little-understood phenomenon.
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Their presence, rather than reassuring residents, only adds to their sense of unease.
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"We feel like we are rabbits in a laboratory experiment," said Ivan Mansilla Vera, 36, an engineer and father of two young children. "Nobody knows what is going to happen to us."

Article here

http://www.iht.com/articles/81619.html

[-=HUNGRYMAN=-]

So has my cack !!