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Go back to Solar UV-B
radiation
Ozone molecules strongly absorb UV-B
radiation. Thus atmospheric ozone provides a protective shield against solar
UV-B
radiation.
Without ozone in the atmosphere life would be possible only under water.
Negative trends in the middle atmosphere ozone layer have
already been detected globally for two decades. The ozone decline has been largest
above Antarctica, inside the polar
vortex, in springtime. A smaller, but still significant, decline has taken
place in the Arctic. There have also been negative trends in mid-latitude ozone.
The Caribbean, which lies in the tropics and subtropics, has been saved from the
effects of the chemical ozone depletion. No trends of ozone have been detected
in the tropical or sub-tropical latitudes! Read, why ozone depletion has not
affected the tropics in The
Science chapter of the Ozone depletion
page of CaWeC!
Along with climate change, caused by increase of
greenhouse gases, ozone depletion is the other global atmospheric climate issue
that has had and is having a deep impact to the way societies work and interact. The
discovery of Antarctic ozone depletion and the role of freons (clorofluorocarbons,
i.e. CFCs) in the depletion,
resulted in the 1987 Montreal Protocol. In turn, the Protocol led to reductions
in emissions of freon compounds. Thereafter, the production and consumption of
other ozone-depleting substances have also been reduced. Amendments to the
Montreal Protocol have been made several times, the most recent being the
Beijing
amendment
in 1999. The Montreal Protocol may be regarded as a success story of
international environment policy. The international community was able to agree
on quick and considerable reductions in the production and consumption of
halogenated compounds soon after the discovery of Antarctic ozone depletion.
Learn more about ozone depletion, ozone
hole and Montreal Protocol!
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