Arrival of the Eco-Warrior

This is Planet Earth. Our home! This famous picture below entitled, 'The Blue Marble' shows our Earth viewed from space, as it was taken in 1972 by Apollo 17. If you take a couple of minutes to look at this picture I am sure you'll agree she is a beautiful site to behold.

According to scientific speculation the Earth began around 4.5 to 4.6 billion years ago, well before our meager existence, old as time itself. It was a product left behind from the big bang theory, when the universe was first formed. It was in its' infant years around the time of the Dinosaurs. Survived through the Ice Age, and countless ages after, decade after decade and in our own time and history has lived beyond two world wars.

But our present Earth is under attack from an advancing new threat. For centuries Mankind has made the little blue planet its' home. We have learnt new ways to travel, expanded on our intelligence, inventing new forms of energy and seeking opportunities to explore our galaxy and go beyond. But whilst Mankind has strived to improve its' sciences and technology, it has also lived in the dark. Unaware that its' own potential growth has endangered the very existence of the Planet we live on.

Most of us have heard about the Ozone Layer, via our schools and work, through education, books and magazines. By keeping track of the latest news stories relayed on our Televisions or on the Internet. The Ozone Layer is within the Stratosphere of our planet. The protective shield, which keeps out harmful ultra-violet light from the Sun, which otherwise could kill us or at the very least alter our genetic DNA. The ultra-violet light also has the potential to destroy plant life, plankton in our oceans, animals and other living organisms and species, which we hold dear to us hearts.

It is already apparent that skin cancer and cataract problems are on the increase and climate changes appear to be affecting our polar ice caps and water levels and if things continue without been assessed further and fixed, then the situation will certainly grow a whole lot worse.

The Ozone Layer is formed by Oxygen molecules (O2) coming into contact with the ultra-violet rays emitted from the Sun. When ultra-violet light is absorbed by the Oxygen molecules (O2), they split into two separate Oxygen atoms (O). When one of these Oxygen atoms (O) comes into contact with an Oxygen molecule (O2) it joins with it to make Ozone (03). It is this Ozone (O3) that makes up what we call the Ozone Layer. It is already known that through a natural cycle the sun light eventually breaks down the Ozone (03) that is made. However the Ozone Layer is capable of repairing itself naturally, so where one Ozone is destroyed, another one forms to take its place.

However in the 1970s it was believed that the Ozone Layer was depleting due to the use of Chlorofluorocarbons or commonly known as CFCs. Chlorofuorocarbons (CFCs) were used in refrigeration units and the propellants within aerosols and also foam packaging. They are compounds, which are a mixture of Chlorine, Fluorine and Carbon atoms and though they are stable and inert within our part of the atmosphere, once they reach the Stratosphere they reacts similar to the Oxygen molecules under ultra-violet light. When the CFC gases degrades and releases one pure Chlorine molecule, this single Chlorine molecule can destroy around 100,000 Ozone molecules. This is very bad, as the Ozone Layer needs a long time to fix itself and the lifespan of the Chlorine molecule is far greater than the Ozone molecule, which means it can cause a lot of damage to other Ozone within its lifespan.

Halons were also responsible for the depletion of the Ozone Layer and can be found mainly in fire extinguishers, propellants and solvents. These contain Bromine and like the CFC gases they have a long lifespan, but are capable of causing more damage.

In 1985 the Vienna Convention created an agreement between countries that would look at the protection of the Ozone Layer. This would entail research into emissions, uses of CFCs and Halons and their effects on the Ozone Layer at the time and information would be shared between them. Further studies in 1985 witnessed the Ozone Hole above the Antarctic, which lead to the Montreal Protocol in 1987 which concerned substances that depleted the Ozone Layer and the phasing out of them. This agreement was signed and implemented by 24 countries and the European Economic Community. The Montreal protocol has been amended several times. On the Globelaw Website you will find a copy of the Vienna Convention of 1985 and The Montreal Protocol of 1987 can be viewed on the UNEP Website. Links to the relevant pages are given below:-

Vienna Convention 1985 - http://www.globelaw.com/Climate/vienna.htm

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 - http://hq.unep.org/ozone/Montreal-Protocol/Montreal-Protocol2000.shtml

Currently HCFCs or Hydrochlorofluorocarbons are used in products to replace previous CFCs and Halons. These are compounds which are made from Carbon, Chlorine and Fluorine similar to the CFCs, but Hydrogen has also been added. By adding the Hydrogen to the compound, this make it less stable and therefore less destructive to the Ozone Layer. It should be noted however that HCFCs can still deplete the Ozone, so will eventually be phased out and an alternative found.

Other Websites for further reading on the subject of the Ozone Layer.

Many resources can be found on the internet to obtain further understanding of the Ozone Layer. I've included links to those Websites which I personally found useful, which you will find below for your reference:-

Centre for Atmospheric Science. Cambridge University - http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/cas/

Health Polictics with Doctor Mike Magee - http://www.healthpolitics.com/archives.asp?previous=ozone&spg=PPC

SEDAC (the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center - http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/ozone/

Stratospheric Ozone - http://www.ec.gc.ca/ozone/docs/UO/faq/en/faq.cfm

U.S. environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/ozone/

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer

WiseGEEK - http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ozone.htm (click on Multimedia Ozone Layer Tour)