UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Scientists in the late 1970s observed a concerning decrease in the amount of ozone in the atmosphere, which they later attributed to manmade chemicals like certain refrigerants and aerosols. An international treaty called the Montreal Protocol phased out the production of these chemicals worldwide, and now ozone levels are steadily recovering. William Brune, distinguished professor of meteorology at Penn State, will discuss the lessons learned from the ozone crisis and how similar strategies might be applied to address the climate crisis during a talk at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7. The talk will take place via Zoom.

Brune’s research focuses on the atmosphere’s oxidation chemistry and addresses fundamental questions of air quality near the Earth’s surface, the effects of global pollution in the middle and upper troposphere, ozone destruction in the stratosphere, and most recently lightning effects on atmospheric oxidation.

Brune’s talk is part of the spring 2022 EESI EarthTalks series, “Energy and Climate Policy, Part 2: Strategies for Getting to Net Zero.” The series is presented by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.