Ozone Layer Depletion

Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion

One effect of the ozone layer depletion includes global warming. Global warming, a very serious issue, is the increase of heating of the Earth. With the temperatures steadily going up, the aftermath is even more devastating. The consequences of this include the melting of ice caps and glaciers, more droughts and storms, stronger hurricanes, and abnormal weather conditions.  The components of the ozone layer are being broken down, leaving the Earth with direct contact of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and heat.

With less of the ozone layer, there are more ultraviolet rays that reach the Earth. The more contact with the harmful rays can cause serious problems for human health. For example, skin cancer and damage to the eyes are more likely to occur. Also, with the melting ice caps, more sunlight is absorbed by the water, and the temperatures increase even more.

The melting of ice caps is another problem. According to Al Gore, in Antarctica, the thickness of ice caps became 40% thinner in the past 40 years. As said before, more sunlight is absorbed from the ocean water. In addition, soon the ice caps will disappear altogether, and the sea level will rise immensely. Risen waters from the oceans would overflow on to the surface, flood the cities, destroy crops in farmlands. Thousands of lives could be lost in the process.

Humans aren’t the only ones that are suffering from these effects. The polar bear population, once stable, is now slowly decreasing. With the melting ice caps, polar bears are forced to swim longer distances to a safe area of ice. Because of this, polar bears are drowning one by one, and soon, the polar bear will be an endangered species. This shows how devastating and serious the depletion of the ozone layer is, and why it should be stopped.

Solutions to Ozone Layer Depletion

Despite the damage already done to the environment, the government is able to stop this dilemma. The government has the power to enforce laws to save the environment. For example, products containing CFCs could be banned from use. Also, international agreements between countries could be established to stop the production of these CFC-containing products. For example, in the Montreal Protocol, more than 30 nations worldwide have agreed to stop and ban the use and production of CFCs.

Although it may not seem much, every personal individual can also help stop this. Families could make sure that household appliances did not have any trace of CFCs in them. Similarly, people can check to see if the products they buy contain any CFCs in them. Companies can also find substitutes for CFCs, and people are becoming more aware of the problem.

However, although every nation is aware of the consequences of the depletion of the ozone layer, some nations are choosing to continue the use and production of CFCs. In the future, every nation must work together to stop this issue. Not only this, but even if all production and use of CFCs are stopped, there is no way to get rid of the chemical compounds already in the atmosphere, and it will take at least a century for them to completely disappear. On the other hand, after a hundred years or so, the ozone layer will repair itself to its normal state.