Save Earth's ozone. Cause more global warming. Sheesh.

OK, so it's important to save the ozone layer from the damaging chemistry caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, of course) and hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs, of course). And it's also important to phase out the use of CFCs and HCFCs because they too are greenhouse gases.

So if you do that -- phase out the CFCs and HCFCs -- then that's a good thing for global warming, right? Because there are less GHGs in the atmosphere, and per molecule, these species cause more warming than CO2.

However, more ozone means, and this seems quite unfair, more global warming.

What's an environmentalist to do?

Still, the ozone layer has to be preserved and protected. Not having one, or having a much less effective one, would be real bad.'

So, ultimately, it becomes even more urgent to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible.

Sorry, fossil fuel interests, that's the way it is.

Ozone Will Warm Planet More Than First Thought

The findings show that stopping CFC and HCFC production provides less climate benefit than previously calculated.

"The findings show that stopping CFC and HCFC production - done mainly to protect the ozone layer - provides less climate benefit than previously calculated. CFCs and HCFCs are greenhouse gases that warm the planet. Countries banned them to save the ozone layer, expecting this would also help fight climate change. But as the ozone layer heals, it creates more warming that cancels out most of the climate benefits from removing CFCs and HCFCs."

Reference: Collins WJ, O'Connor FM, Byrom RE, et al. Climate forcing due to future ozone changes: an intercomparison of metrics and methods. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2025. doi: 10.5194/acp-25-9031-2025.