By Chris Clarke In California, farmers are steering clear of methyl bromide, an ozone-thinning chemical used to grow strawberries.
Few things exemplify Earth's bounty more than tasty, nutritious strawberries.
These sweet red morsels are among the most popular fruits grown in the United States. Strawberry fans may find it hard to believe, but their treat is linked to a thinning ozone layer. Strawberry farmers routinely fumigate their soil with methyl bromide to protect the vulnerable plants from disease. The methyl bromide escapes into the stratosphere, where it attacks the protective layer of ozone that shields the planet from ultraviolet radiation. Under the 1989 Montreal Protocol , a global agreement to restrict ozone-depleting substances, the EPA will end U.S. methyl bromide use in 2005.