World Ozone Day

The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet.

The phaseout of controlled uses of ozone depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations, but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change; furthermore, it has protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth. h The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet.

The phaseout of controlled uses of ozone depleting substances and the related reductions have not only helped protect the ozone layer for this and future generations, but have also contributed significantly to global efforts to address climate change; furthermore, it has protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth. ___World Ozone Day is observed on September 16, every year. It is celebrated to spread awareness among people about the depletion of the Ozone Layer and search for possible solutions to preserve it. On this day, people from all over the world are expected to join the Montreal protocol to join the talks and seminars. A number of commonly used chemicals have been found to be extremely damaging to the ozone layer. Life on Earth would not be possible without sunlight. But the energy emanating from the sun would be too much for life on Earth to thrive were it not for the ozone layer. This stratospheric layer shields Earth from most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. The first ozone hole was discovered 30 years ago in May 1985 over Antarctica. Later, NASA found out the whole of Antarctica was affected and the temperature had begun to rise.

The Ozone layer, also known as the Ozone shield, is a delicate layer of gas in the Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet rays, which is harmful to human life and other life forms. These rays can cause numerous skin diseases. The layer absorbs about 97 to 99 percent of ultraviolet rays and maintains the ozone-oxygen cycle.

The awareness among the stakeholders including industries and the general public play a vital role in phase-out of ODSs and protection of the Ozone Layer. In this year of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Ozone Day may be observed by following the government guidelines and maintaining social distancing.