ISLAMABAD September 2018: With this year’s theme “Keep cool and carry on” September 16 is observed all over the world as preservation day of ozone layer. It was at the first time celebrated in 1994 and was established by the United Nations General Assembly. However, the purpose of celebration is to spread awareness of the depletion of ozone layer and seek out solutions to preserve it. Maryum Shabbir an environmentalist working with Sustainable Development Policy Institute – SDPI while talking to The Dayspring said that because of the human activities ozone layer is at depleting which is causing serious threat to human life. Layer is a Ozone shield around the earth which does not let the ultraviolet rays of the sun to reach on the surface of earth. In 1976 atmospheric research mentioned that the ozone layer is being thinned due to the chemicals released by the industries, for instance, chlorofluorocarbon (CFCS).Moreover, the depletion of ozone layer can harm the life on earth badly which causes extreme hotness and flow of glaciers and prevent rain she added.
Getting rid of 13 different ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), including hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFC) and chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC), is critical to protecting the ozone layer, which protects all life on earth from adverse impacts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and its spill-over effect of climate change.
Most of the ozone-depleting substances emitted by human activities remain in the stratosphere for decades, meaning that ozone layer recovery is a very slow, long process she said. Negative effects include increases in certain types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune deficiency disorders. UV radiation also affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, altering growth, food chains and biochemical cycles. Aquatic life just below the water’s surface, the basis of the food chain, is particularly adversely affected by high UV levels. UV rays also affect plant growth, reducing agricultural productivity.
Maryum told that this Day is for us to show our intensive care towards this problem and find out solution to preserve the ozone layer and put a ban on certain things which are responsible for this reason as well as plant more and more trees in our surroundings.
