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On this World Ozone Day, let’s commit to making peace with our planet. Let’s commit to build on the success of the Montreal Protocol to show what international cooperation at its best can achieve.
António Guterres
Introduction
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated every year on September 16, to raise awareness about the importance the ozone layer holds for our atmosphere and what all activities are a threat to this layer.
The day of September 16 commensurates the historic Montreal Protocol, which is a landmark international treaty that focussed on phasing out of those products and industrial activities that are responsible for ozone layer depletion.
The ozone layer is basically a region of Earth’s Stratosphere that is primarily responsible for the absorption of harmful UV rays (UV- B and UV- C Rays) thus preventing them from reaching the Earth’s surface. In this way, it protects living organisms from the harmful effects of these UV Rays, such as skin cancer, cataracts, damage to the ecosystem, etc.
At the stratosphere, the UV rays interact with oxygen molecules and disintegrate the oxygen molecules into oxygen atoms. When an oxygen atom combines with an oxygen molecule, it forms an Ozone layer, consisting of 3 oxygen atoms (O 3 ). Primary threats to the Ozone Layer are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) usually found in refrigerators or air conditioners, Halons used in fire extinguishers, Carbon Tetrachloride used as an industrial solvent and cleaning agent, etc.
Significance of this Day
a) Raise Awareness about the importance the Ozone Layer holds for our earth and the lives of living organisms. This would foster better understanding among youth as well as industries and thus would enable them to make informed decisions for the production of goods and services.
b) Celebrate the achievement of the Montreal Protocol, which has helped in phasing out CFCs that were depleting the ozone layer. This day is a reminder that a coordinated attempt by the world community can effectively tackle any problem.
c) Promote continuous actions in environment conservation, this day reminds us that though we have achieved a lot in environment conservation we cannot rest our efforts as the problems or depletion of natural resources are increasing day by day.
d) This day is also a reminder of the fact that the world we live in is not only for us but for our future generations as well, thus we need to conserve it and use natural resources judiciously.
Work Submitted By: Shervill Poonia (Intern Roya Institute for Global Justice- India)