September 16 – the environmental community celebrates International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
EcoPolitic journalists have gathered information about the Earth's “shield” that protects it from ultraviolet radiation: the ozone layer.
In order to preserve the ozone layer, a protocol was signed in Montreal, Canada, in 1987, in accordance with the Vienna Convention, limiting the production and use of substances that destroy the ozone layer. The Protocol officially entered into force in 1989 and became a true example of global international cooperation in protecting the planet.
Ukraine signed the Vienna Convention in 1995 and ratified it in 1996. Therefore, in 1998, Ukraine joined the Montreal Protocol, which requires compliance with international obligations to restore the ozone layer and protect the climate.
Danger
The ozone layer protects all living things from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, its destruction directly affects human health and the environment.
The ozone layer absorbs about 97-99% of ultraviolet radiation, which can cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans, and ultraviolet radiation also has a negative impact on flora and fauna. The ozone layer reached a critical point in 1985, when scientists recorded a sharp decrease in ozone concentration at an altitude of over 1,000 km above Antarctica.
The level of ozone in the atmosphere decreased by 10-40%, a phenomenon called the “ozone hole.” The cause of the weakening of the ozone layer was freons, which were widely used in refrigerators and aerosols.
Thanks to measures to protect the ozone layer from destruction, it is gradually recovering. Ozone is a special form of oxygen that can be restored by sunlight. According to UN forecasts, it could fully recover to 1980s levels by the middle of the 21st century.
In 1994, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing September 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This is because it was on this day in Montreal that a protocol was signed to promote the protection and restoration of the ozone layer.
As EcoPolitic wrote earlier, the planet's ozone layer could recover in 40 years under certain conditions. A joint report by the UN, the US, and the EU showed that the ozone layer in different parts of the Earth could recover within four decades thanks to the Montreal Protocol.
We also recommend reading about the founding day of the Dutch environmental organization Greenpeace, which has become a symbol of the fight for a clean environment.
