World Ozone Day| All about Ozone Depletion| Is the Ozone Hole decreasing?| How can we save the Ozone Layer?

 Every year the World Ozone Day is celebrated on 16th September with a different theme. This year, the theme was the celebration of 35 years of global ozone layer protection. Like so many other environmental issues, the depletion of ozone layer has also been a major concern since the 1980s. Through my blog this time, I will be revealing the past, the present and the future of the ozone layer without which there shall be no life on Earth. (Don't worry I am no fortune teller, but what I am going to be presenting is merely the scientific data, which I hope will help to encourage people to save our precious Earth and its inhabitants.) So let's begin!

Q1. What is the ozone layer?

It is a particular region in the layers of atmosphere of the Earth. It absorbs 97 to 99% of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, which otherwise would potentially damage the exposed life forms near the surface of the earth.

Q2. What happened? [The Past]

In the 1980s, scientists began to realize that ozone-depleting chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), were creating a thin spot—a hole—in the ozone layer over Antarctica. The man-made chemicals that have abused the ozone layer over the years are methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and most common being, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

2019's Ozone Hole via USN

Q3. What is the Ozone Depletion?

• Ozone depletion consists of two related events:

1. Steady lowering of about four percent in the total amount of ozone in Earth's atmosphere (the ozone layer),

 2. Much larger decrease in stratospheric ozone around Earth's polar regions during the spring time, which is referred to as the ozone hole.

• Threats due to Ozone-depletion:

✔ Ozone-depletion has generated worldwide concern over increased cancer risks and other negative effects.
✔ Certain marine life, especially planktons, is greatly impacted by exposure to strong ultraviolet rays. In the aquatic food chain, planktons appear high up. If planktons decrease in number due to ozone layer destruction, the marine food chain would be disrupted in many ways.
✔ As we know the ozone layer protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the Sun, which if not present can cause skin cancer, sunburn, permanent blindness, and cataracts, as well as harm plants and animals.
✔ Thus, these concerns led to the adoption of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which bans the production of CFCs, halons, and other ozone-depleting chemicals.

                

Q4. What is the Present Day Scenario?

Through an international effort to decrease the use of CFCs, the ozone layer is starting to mend, and scientists believe it should mostly recover by 2075. (This series of satellite images shows the ozone hole on the day of its maximum depth from 1979 through 2018.)

In support of the Protocol, the Kigali Amendment, which came into force in 2019, will work towards reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs), greenhouse gases with powerful climate warming potential and damaging to the environment.

                     

 

(courtesy of: nasa earth observatory)

Though Ozone depletion does not cause global warming as stated in an article by the Union of Concerned Scientists [ I will also explain the same in my upcoming blog], both are however environmental concerns which if ignored will lead to adverse effects.

                                       

Q5. How to save it from further depletion? [The Future]

Less use of Fuel:

• We need to reduce the usage of the fuels and petroleum used in vehicles nowadays. Which can be done by efficiently switching to transport options like urban, bicycle, or walking. If you use a car, try to carpool with others to decrease the use of cars in order to pollute less and save.

Less use of pesticides: 

• Pesticides, although helps in growing your farms and plants but on the other hand cause harm to the ozone layer and contribute to ozone layer depletion. Thus opt for herbal or eco friendly fertilizers.

                        

Limited use of harmful chemicals for cleaning:

 • Many cleaning products contain solvents and substances which are corrosive, but you can replace these dangerous substances with non-toxic products such as vinegar or bicarbonate.

Buy local products:

• In this way, you not only get fresh products but you avoid consuming food that has traveled long distances. As the more distance traveled, the more nitrous oxide is produced due to the medium used to transport that product.  

Maintain air conditioners:

• As they are the biggest sources of the CFC gas and their malfunctions cause CFC to escape into the atmosphere.

                                         

These are a few ways by which you can efficiently contribute in your fight against the ozone depletion. But apart from that keep inspiring others, and encourage them to be up-to-date about our various environmental concerns. Because the Earth is also ours to be taken care of. Let us take the news of the mending ozone hole as an inspiration to work harder than before, and not as an excuse to stop living in a sustainable way. I will take my leave now with this quote.

"Let us take encouragement from how we have worked together to preserve the ozone layer and apply the same will to healing the planet and forging a brighter and more equitable future for all humanity."

~António Guterres

******

I hope this blog has been able to create at least a small change in your lives. Do subscribe to my blog page to get the updates and new blogs as soon as they are out. Your thoughts go down in the comments! Have a wonderful day!

To follow me on instagram click here

To follow me on Pinterest click here

To susbscribe to my blog or to see other posts click here