19-06-2012, 01:37 PM
Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone Layer Depletion – The Effect On The World
The effect of ozone layer depletion often seems as if it is a far away problem, given that the actual holes in this protective blanket over the Earth’s atmosphere are concentrated around the poles and far from most human settlements. In reality, the weakening of the Earth’s protection from radiation has implications that spread across the planet. The Environmental issues caused by ozone layer depletion will ultimately affect everyone.
Ozone hole getting bigger.
It has been reported by scientists, that an ozone hole five times the size of California has opened over the Arctic this spring, matching the ozone loss over Antarctica for the first time on record.
Part of the problem that the public is having, coming to grips with the importance of climate change, is the fact that it is often presented in a way that creates the impression that the impact is limited to people either on the far side of the planet or far into our future. Meanwhile, greenhouse gases and the depletion of the ozone layer are causing worldwide shifts in the climate. In reality, the ozone layer depletion changes are impacting the lives of people all over the world right now.
What does the ozone layer do?
The key effect of the presence of the ozone layer is that it filters the ultraviolet radiation that comes from the sun, especially the type known as UV-B. While some radiation is important, too much can be extremely damaging to the environment. In particular, it can damage the DNA in living organisms. This means that it can cause cancer in both humans and animals. The direct implications of increased cancer rates on the human population is obvious, but there are also other Environmental issues associated with this. The increased cancer death of other animals is disruptive to food chains and damaging to ecosystems.
Ozone layer depletion is changing our planet.
Some of the most notable Effects of Climate Change in the life of the average person is its effect on the price of food and the supply of drinking water. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, reports that the number of areas that suffer from serious droughts has increased since the 1970s.
These droughts make it more difficult for people in the region to get enough water to meet their needs. In addition, when droughts occur around land used for farming, it affects food production. Due to the global nature of the modern food system, a drought in one key area can potentially affect food prices throughout the world.
In addition to its effects on animals, increased ultraviolet light will also have implications for plant life. Some plants may behave differently because their life cycle and ability to create ripe fruit is affected by the presence of ultraviolet light. The microscopic plant life in the oceans, on the other hand, may not be able to survive the increased exposure.
Bigger storms forecast.
There are other, more immediately dramatic, effects of climate change. For example, the IPCC also reports that tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic has become more intense since 1970. Homes and businesses that were built to weather the type of storms that were commonly seen several decades ago are now increasingly being subjected to more intense ones. In some cases the structures simply cannot hold up and their failure results in expensive damage and loss of human life. The unpredictable nature of these storms makes it difficult to determine where and when it is worthwhile to make expensive upgrades to increase the chances that a building can withstand them.
Scientists also expect that ozone layer depletion will cause Environmental issues by disrupting the climate. The additional radiation is likely to have an impact on wind currents in the upper atmosphere. While this may seem minor, any change to the way air moves in the atmosphere can have major effects over time. It affects temperatures by moving air from one part of the world to another, and can also have major impacts on the amount of rain that reaches an area by changing the direction that moist air moves.
The Environmental issues that may result from ozone layer depletion are both varied and potentially severe. Without serious and focused action, these changes are a reality that humanity will be forced to deal with.
What can we do about ozone layer depletion?
Just as the entire world shares in the production of gasses that are causing climate change, the ozone layer depletion problem also extends to everyone. It is important that everyone does their part both by making changes in their personal lives and by lobbying their governments to take concrete action. It is the only way to both limit the damage being done to the environment and prepare for those changes in climate that it is too late to prevent. If the ozone layer depletion problem is important to you, important to your family, then it’s time to start doing something about it.