There is big news about the environment: Scientists say a hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer is starting to heal. A new study confirms the hole is getting smaller. A report on the study was published late last month in the journal Science. The scientists say the reason for the improvement is a reduction in the release of man-made chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere. These chemicals are called chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs for short. “It’s a big surprise,” said Susan Solomon, the lead writer of the report. “I didn’t think it would be this early,” she said. Solomon is an atmospheric chemist and works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ozone is a form of oxygen gas. It is found in the air we breathe and in the upper atmosphere. Near Earth, ozone in the air is a danger to life. It is a pollutant.