Free N2O is the problem with ozone depletion? What if wind or solar energies were used to remove nitrogen from ag run off(on the Mississippi River),the oceans or the air? It wouldn’t then be free to change to N2O in the environment. The captured N2O could be used to help combust fossil fuels to make electricity? This combustion would be in a controlled environment to hold down pollution. It could be a way to store energy rather than to charge batteries, which are also toxic?

Any of this possible?

My guess is that upward circulation of the air (from long-wave radiative forcing, or, due to heat agitation from evaporative processes) does the trick. Plus, there are normal, ever-present currents in the atmosphere that can move molecules higher into the stratosphere. Note that it takes 4-5 months for this “up-circulation” to occur.

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1st poster: The report on N2O can be found in the October 2, 2009 edition of Science Magazine (Ravishankara et al, ‘Nitrous Oxide (N2O): The Dominant Ozone-Depleting Substance Emitted in the 21st Century’).

2nd poster: Yes, but there are still large “banks” of trapped CFC (and HCFC, HFC) in the form of insulation foam, fire extinguishing equipment (halons) and additional medical uses (CFC). These sources–not yet emitted into the atmosphere–are considered “non cost-effective” to recover.

3rd poster: What the article is saying, and what the paper seems to say, is that the ODP of a chemical (here N2O or NOx) depends upon its proximity to the Ozone maximum band of the stratosphere. Even though CFC has a much higher ODP than N2O, due to where it tends to concentrate in the atmosphere (above and below the O3 max., not just above it/adjacent to it, like NOx chemicals), it’s impact on O3 depletion is less. 42K feet is still within the troposphere, so, I would say that jet fuel combustion at this level is probably more harmful than lower altitude combustion, but not as harmful to the ozone layer as if it were dispersed even higher up. Still, NOx in the atmosphere can be carried up to higher altitudes, so, the higher up the emissions of NOx, the more likely they are to be up-circulated nearer to the ozone maximum.

Note: increased sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere (due to volcanic eruptions) were found to decrease the effectiveness of N2O in destroying O3, but also increase the ODP effectiveness of CFCs (Mickley et al)…which is another one of those geo-engineering ‘trade-offs’ So, it’s a good thing that most industrial nations have banned CFCs (and halocarbon chlorine/bromine compounds).

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