Ozone issue - Research Paper Example

The depletion of the ozone layer is changing the pattern of life and survival on earth. There have been changes in the atmospheric condition due to the loss of ozone on a large scale and hence causing catastrophic disasters as well. ‘A second catastrophic view of the effect of ozone loss depended on the resultant increase in the UV radiation reaching the earth’s surface.’ (Parson, 2003, p.24) The existence of ozone is essential for shielding the earth’s surface from high energy UV rays for the living beings to survive on earth as well as under the ocean.

In the 1960’s Berkner and Marshall based their observations too on this fact that during some ancient times the earth’s shift to an oxygen atmosphere forming an ozone layer thick enough to screen surface UV was necessary to let life on earth including that under ocean survive (Parson, 2003, p.24) It is evident that the existence of ozone would to a large extent determine life as well as affect the ecosystem in various ways sometimes even leading to serious diseases like skin cancer. If one follows the proverb, “Prevention is better than cure”, then he can realize the true significance of the existence of ozone layer and how it is good or bad for life on earth.

In the earlier paragraph, a very serious threat which might be caused due to lack of sufficient ozone has been unmasked. In other words, as ozone prevents the harmful UV rays from bringing unwanted effects on life on the earth, it can be understood as to what might lead to a disease like skin cancer –“Ozone depletion means more UV from the sun gets to the ground, leading to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and other health problems” (Tabin, 2008, p.143). Besides, ozone protects the earth’s surface by absorbing the harmful UV rays emitting from the sun thereby facilitating life on the planet.

If looked from a very far distant location, the earth actually looks like a beautiful blue sphere, which accounts due to the greenery surrounding the earth, and the vegetation as well as forests which again are seats of the vibrant flowers and eventually indebted to the existence of ozone layer. (Tabin, 2008, p.39) Investigating into the factors causing reduction in ozone, it would be paradoxical to state that human beings play the role of disturbing the ozone layer by unknowingly emitting chemicals that bring unwanted changes in the layer thereby disrupting the delicate balance established by nature.

(Tabin, 2008, p.40) During winter, the polar night zone or the zone in South Pole where a stream of air swirls, receives little or no light from the sun, which allows nitric acid and water to form ice crystal’s clouds called polar stratospheric clouds. Apart from this, “chlorine and bromine containing chemicals can lead to a significant depletion of stratospheric ozone” (Sinha, 1998, p.8). Chlorine gas is produced in the ozone layer as a result of the chemical reaction of the surfaces of the ice crystals, which begins to accumulate in winter releasing chlorine atoms during spring with the sunshine, finally reducing the amount of ozone, which again creates the ozone hole. J. Hampson also performed several experiments, and found out hydrogen compounds produced from water vapor are capable of destroying ozone on a rapid basis.

However, the deadliest ‘enemy’ to attack ozone layer seems to be the invention of chlorofluorocarbons