Ozone Layer: The Mooring in Life Jacket!

 

Earth is a livable planet among all other planets in universe. Also it is the only planet having abundance of minerals. The earth is covered with forests, mountains, rivers etc. The existence of life depends on sun, the rays of sun fall in form of light and the process of photosynthesis is completed. The process of photosynthesis is the fundamental principle of life to exist. Because among the total creatures that exist on earth, a big among them is herbivores i.e. eating green leaves and other tiny plants. The grains as wheat, rice, maize etc. are food of the human beings and other animals that depend on the greenery for food because they can’t eat any other thing. What is the need of ozone layer? What if the sun rays come directly to the earth? For existence of life, a balanced temperature is needed for growth of the species on earth. The temperature of sun is around 6000 degree Celsius which is too much high that it can burn almost everything present on the planet. There is a layer of various airs which has a cover structure at about 10-60 km above the ground. This is called atmosphere. The atmosphere is divided into different layers, first layer is called troposphere. The ozone layer exists between these two layers but the thickness of ozone layer is only 3-5 mm. The ozone layer is a condensed layer of oxygen atom represented as O₃. 

It was discovered by a French Scientist Charles Fabry in 1913. When ultraviolet rays come from Sun to the earth, these rays are slowed down by the condensed oxygen molecules and it produces more oxygen. Also the harmful ultraviolet rays do not reach to the ground. But this ozone layer is not self sustained and is of destructive nature. The harmful chemicals coming out of the industries are responsible for depletion of ozone layer. The erosion of ozone layer is a very slow process but over the year, its effect can be of drastic nature. Due to industrialization and urbanization, there is a huge growth in luxury items like refrigerator, Air conditioners. These electric household goods works by using chloro floro carbon, halo carbon refrigerants, some propellants that react with ozone and the ozone atom is broken into further small molecules and hence ozone layer is depleted. There are some other factors also that are responsible for the erosion of the life shield of earth like chemicals used in paint industry, fumes from fertilizers industries etc affect the ozone layer. The depletion of ozone layer will result in direct exposure of UV rays to the earth. These rays are harmful at this extent that they can alter the growth of the plants and other reproductive animals. These rays have harmful effect on the humans resulting in skin cancer and other serious health hazards. But in the blind run of industrialization and urbanization we have forgotten the principle of sustainable growth in which it is mandatory to make a balance between all the aspects of nature. So there is need to regulate the blind use of these resources that may harm the own existence of the human on earth and the allied nature. How the things can be right aligned? First of all we have to examine the causes for the ozone layer depletion. We have to minimize the usage of such chemicals which are directly responsible for ozone layer depletion. Thereafter we have to find out a way to the things that can replace the need of these chemicals. After finding out this, we have to regulate the other things also, the usage of refrigerating agent should be minimized. Global efforts are being made to minimize the propellants and other agents which are responsible for the cause. Ultraviolet rays can even destroy the sea life, the tiny Plankinton and other living organic material present on earth. The thickness of ozone layer varies over the earth, in Australia this is thinner. This range increases over the poles and the layer has become thinner up to 10 percent, the same may lead to direct exposure of the UV rays to the humans and other living organism. This happens in the spring season of the year due to high green house effect results from carbon emission. Being a global matter, now a day’s various countries have come ahead to put a check on the ongoing issue

   of depletion of ozone layer. The Montreal protocol is the first effort in this regard that binds countries with emission of harmful nitrous oxide. But efforts at local level and individuals have also to be made to minimize the emission of such pollutants that are too much harmful for the ozone layer. The use of vehicle must be utilized in such a way that it harms our environment less. Lets contribute to make earth a livable planet.