Ozone is on a 'road to recovery': World Ozone Day 2020

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the  Ozone day brings hope. The efforts that started 35 years back have brought great results as our shield on earth is healing.  This year, we celebrate 35 years of the Vienna convention and global ozone layer protection.

The slogan of the day, “Ozone for life”, reminds us that ozone is crucial for our life on Earth and we must continue to protect the ozone layer for our future generations also.

Most of the ozone stays within the stratosphere, protecting the surface of the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun. If this shield was to weaken, we would all be more susceptible to impaired immune systems, cataracts, and skin cancer.

Right after the Coronavirus started creating havoc and the world stopped due to lockdowns, scientists revealed that the hole observed in the ozone above the Arctic has healed itself. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) tweeted about the development. “The unprecedented 2020 northern hemisphere #OzoneHole has come to an end.

In 1985, the world’s governments adopted the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Under the Convention’s Montreal Protocol, governments, scientists, and industry worked together to cut out 99 percent of all ozone-depleting substances. Thanks to the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer is healing and expected to return to pre-1980 values by mid-century. In support of the Protocol, the Kigali Amendment, which came into force in 2019, will work towards reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs), greenhouse gases with powerful climate-warming potential, and damaging to the environment.

 How can you contribute to ozone conservation?

 1. Reduce the use of dangerous gases: While cleaning, working in chemical factories and at other places we should reduce the use of harmful gases like halogenated hydrocarbon, CFCs, methyl bromide, and nitrous oxide. We can replace our cleaning agents with non-toxic products such as vinegar or bicarbonate.

 2. Maintain your appliances: The air conditioners and refrigerators need regular maintenance as their malfunctioning can release CFCs in the air which is extremely harmful to the ozone layer.

3. Control traffic: We all know that air pollution is the biggest reason for ozone depletion. With a few changes in our lifestyle, we can help the ozone heal. People can use public transport instead of their private vehicles.

 4. Use organic products: Try to use organic products in your daily life. Avoid packed food or foods with preservatives.

 5. Three R's - Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle: Reduce the use of harmful products and gases. Reuse the products if possible. And, Recycle all possible wastes.

Nature has given a strong message to humans with the pandemic, we must learn to respect our planet. Ozone conservation is the conservation of life on earth. The ozone layer is not expected to recover fully before the second half of this century. This is because once released, ozone-depleting substances stay in the atmosphere for many years and continue to cause damage. 

Much remains to be done to ensure the continued recovery of the ozone layer and to reduce the impact of ozone-depleting substances on the Earth’s climate.

#worldozoneday