Ozone Depletion

The Ozone Layer suffers a great problem called Ozone Depletion, or the gradual damage of the ozone layer. The Ozone Layer can heal itself if we give it the opportunity to do so. So how can we prevent Ozone Depletion from happening?

Are you below 10 years old? Read the article below. If not, scroll further down.

THE OZONE LAYER: (SIMPLIFIED)

The Ozone Layer is a part of our atmosphere, which means that it is in the sky. It protects us from the UV rays of the sun. UV rays are very harmful for us, and they can hurt us badly if we don’t cover and protect ourselves. But thankfully, the Ozone Layer comes to the rescue, and helps keep out all the bad UV rays!

The sad news is that the Ozone Layer is breaking, and it is because of us! It is breaking because we pollute the air too much.

How can we save it? It’s easy!

We need to:

Tell our parents to buy 5-star appliances (machines like the fridge and the AC) instead of low-quality ones. When you throw away your machines, they start polluting the ozone layer! Make sure your fridges and ACs are thrown away properly!

For people above or 10 years old.

THE OZONE LAYER

Ozone is a colourless gas, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light. (i.e., it is a gas without any colour).

The ozone layer is the part of our atmosphere where there is a high concentration of Ozone (a compound that prevents ultraviolet radiation from penetrating the earth's atmosphere through absorption). It lies in the Stratosphere, the second layer of our atmosphere, and absorbs the harmful UV rays of the sun. UV rays, or ultraviolet rays, are harmful if exposed to excessively, and can cause problems like cataract (affects eye) and even skin cancer.

Here is how the process goes:-

1. We are exposed to the ultraviolet radiation. After a while, our skin starts to tan. This is because of the melanin, a pigment in our skin.

2. If our skin is exposed to this radiation for a long period of time, our skin becomes sunburned.

3. Later in life, after a lot of exposure to UV rays, skin diseases start to occur. Cataract and skin cancer have been directly associated with ultraviolet radiation exposure.

However, ultraviolet rays aren’t entirely harmful, as they provide us heat that we require and are necessary for our bodies to produce Vitamin D, which is necessary for healthy human living. The ozone layer does not totally block out the UV rays, but instead filters out the majority of it, allowing a portion of the radiation to enter through the earth's atmosphere.

THE OZONE HOLE

Have you heard of the hole in the ozone layer? It isn’t a literal gaping hole, but the ozone concentration is less in these areas, resulting in more UV rays being able to pass through, which, as mentioned, can be extremely detrimental to us. The ozone hole was discovered in 1985 above Antarctica by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin.

The ozone was getting depleted due to the Methyl Bromide, Halons and CFCs (or Chlorofluorocarbons) - (all greenhouse gases) - produced by humans while disposing of appliances, using aerosols etc.

CFC was invented by Thomas Midgley, and has been banned because it is environmentally unsafe.

On discovering the ozone hole depletion, many foundations and activist organisations took action. Many meetings were held to discuss solutions to these problems.

The most famous and notable ones were:-

• The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985

• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987 (in which 197 countries signed a treaty to phase out harmful substances like CFCs).

• Rwana HFC Agreement (to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are also harmful).

Thankfully, the ozone layer has reportedly begun healing due to the reduced concentrations and phasing out of the mentioned greenhouse gases!

You can read more about the ozone layer healing in this EcoClub United article by clicking the picture below:

Credits – to TED-Ed for the video on skin colour (click to watch). To pitara.com & en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion for the pictures.

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