Can you explain the difference between the ozone hole and climate change? Don't fret, most people can’t. People often think the two are linked, but in fact they’ve got almost nothing to do with each other… well, they both involve gaseous, human-generated emissions, mysterious atmospheric phenomena, and wishing we had paid attention in chemistry class, but the similarity stops there.

Grist.org’s advice guru Umbra walks us through the discrepancy: The ozone layer, up in the stratosphere, blocks UVB rays from entering our atmosphere in large numbers. The ozone hole is attributed to anthropogenic gases (chlorofluorocarbons, methyl bromide, and others) cleverly known as “ozone depleting substances,” which in turn allow excessive ultraviolet rays to enter the atmosphere.

Global climate change, on the other hand, is associated with the burning of oil and other hydrocarbons that release “greenhouse gases,” which in turn form an atmospheric layer that traps in heat. Syndicated from Grist.org.

Photo credit: www.grist.org