World Ozone Day, celebrated on September 16 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of the ozone layer in protecting life on Earth. It has significantly depleted in recent years, and annually this day is commemorated to educate people more about how this is a concern. It also spreads awareness about the steps that have been taken to preserve the ozone layer.
World Ozone Day: History
The United Nations General Assembly established World Ozone Day in 1994 to celebrate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Montreal Protocol, agreed on September 16, 1987, is an international pact designed to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
Although the Montreal Protocol was intended to phase out the manufacture and consumption of ODSs, some substitutes for these compounds, known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) were still considered harmful.
Therefore, later, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was made legally enforceable and came into effect on January 1, 2019. The amendment proposes to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by the late 2040s.
World Ozone Day 2024: Theme
The theme for this year is “Montreal Protocol: Advancing Climate Action”. The aim is to not only celebrate the accomplishments but also look forward to deeper and faster action under the Montreal Protocol in the future.
World Ozone Day: Significance
The ozone layer is an area of the Earth’s stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone (O3) molecules. It protects life on Earth by absorbing the majority of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ozone layer depletion can result in increasing amounts of UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, which can be damaging to human health, ecosystems, and the environment. World Ozone Day is a reminder of the necessity of protecting the ozone layer for present and future generations.
World Ozone Day: Facts
- Although ozone makes up only a small portion of our atmosphere, its existence is critical to human health.
- Most ozone is found high in the atmosphere, between 10 and 40 km above the Earth’s surface. This region is known as the stratosphere, and it contains approximately 90% of all ozone in the atmosphere.
- Ozone absorbs some of the sun’s biologically hazardous UV light. Because of its beneficial role, stratospheric ozone is regarded as “good” ozone.
- The phenomenon of ozone depletion over Antarctica became known as the “ozone hole” after the findings of a British Antarctic Survey study were published in May 1985. The phrase was first credited to Nobel Prize winner Sherwood Rowland.
World Ozone Day: Quotes
- “We must continue to work together to protect the ozone layer and reduce climate change. The future of our planet depends on it.” – Leonardo DiCaprio,
- “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” – Margaret Mead
- “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” – Marlee Matlin
- “The Montreal Protocol is one of the most successful environmental treaties ever negotiated. It has helped to protect the ozone layer and is now helping to reduce climate change.” – Michael Oppenheimer
- “The ozone layer is a vital part of our planet’s atmosphere, protecting us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. We must do everything we can to protect it.” – UN Secretary-General António Guterres
- “Climate change and ozone depletion are two global issues that are different but have many connections. In the ozone depletion case, we managed to work with decision makers effectively so that an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol was achieved that essentially solved the ozone depletion problem” — Mario J. Molina
- “Global warming is a scientific fact as much as the hole in the ozone layer or Earth’s orbit around the sun” — Johan Rockstrom
- “The ozone is breaking down more and more each year; that’s a fact. That being said, we have to be more conscious of the sun and what it can do to your skin” — Bill Cowher.
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