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While the world cannot stop natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which recently hit New Orleans in the United States of America, we should make collective efforts to prevent or reduce manmade disasters such as the depletion of the ozone layer. As we approach the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on 16 September 2005 let us seriously consider whether or not it is better to deal with the effects of serious depletion of the protective ozone layer or to prevent it from further depletion. Fortunately, international opinion has opted for prevention rather dealing with effects of ozone depletion. On 19 December, 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, in Canada. 

The 1970s saw a marked increase in international concern about ozone depletion, this led to the ban on use of ozone depleting substances such as aerosol repellents in several countries. In 1985, The Vienna Convention was adopted in order to formalize international cooperation on the need to stop using ozone-depleting substances. Additional international cooperation on the need to phase out ozone depleting substances resulted in the signing of the Montreal Protocol in Montreal, Canada, in 1987. After the Protocol was signed, new measurements indicated worse damage to the ozone layer than was originally expected. In 1992, world governments reacted to this threat by deciding to completely end production of ozone depleting compounds such as halons at the beginning of 1994 and of CFCs by the beginning of 1996 in developed countries.

About 40 years ago, governments and industrialists world over rejected scientific advice to stop using ozone-depleting substances because this was against their economic interests. It was only when hard scientific evidence of the significant depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica was presented that world governments and captains of industry later listened to scientific advice to stop using ozone depletion compounds. Regrettably, the damage to the ozone layer had been done and all we can do is to prevent further depletion of the ozone hole in order avoid very serious negative impacts on human health such as skin cancer. Known negative impacts of depletion of the ozone on the physical environment include limited growth of plants on both the land and in the seas and oceans. 

The ozone layer protects all life from the sun’s harmful radiation. However human activities through use of chloro fluorocarbons (CFCs) or ozone depleting substances have damaged the ozone layer. For over 50 years, CFCs were regarded as miracle substances. They are stable and not flammable, low in toxicity and inexpensive to produce. The CFCs can be used as refrigerants and solvents. Other ozone depleting compounds include methyl chloroform (a solvent) carbon tetrachloride (an industrial chemical) Halons (extremely effective fire extinguishing agents) and methyl bromide (an effective soil fumigant). A statement recently released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says of ozone depleting substances All of these compounds have atmospheric lifetimes long enough to allow them to be transported by the wind into the atmosphere. Because they release chlorine or bromine when they breakdown, they damage the protective ozone layer.

However, scientists have established that chlorine from swimming pools, industrial plants and volcanoes does not reach the stratosphere. Chlorine compounds from these sources readily combine with water and repeated measurements show that they rain out of the troposphere (the lowest layer of the earth’s atmosphere) very quickly. 

The EPA recently said, Because of the measures under the Protocol emissions of ozone-depleting substances are already falling. The good news is that the natural ozone-depleting process will heal the ozone layer in about 50 years.

So what can you do as an individual to prevent further depletion of the ozone layer? You should buy body or insect spray that is marked CFC free. Also make sure that you buy fridges and other household goods that do not use CFC gases.
 
 

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