Our planet’s shield also needs protection and that’s why awareness of the ozone layer protection day is important. At least if you can’t protect our planet’s umbrella for the whole year, protect it just once a year. Without the ozone layer, our planet will receive far more Ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Ultraviolet radiation is not so good for human exposure, this is because some variants of it increase the chances of sunburn, likely to cause genetic mutation (DNA changes) and increase the risk of skin cancer. Such high exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun will make our planet uninhabitable for humans and several other creatures including plants.

Human activities on earth have started puncturing holes through that layer of protection and that’s why 16th September has been designated the International Ozone Layer Protection Day. Now that you know that “16th September” is the special day that the international community through the United Nations has set aside to care for the ozone layer and keep the day green; you should take actions.

Role of the Ozone layer

The role of the ozone layer can be looked at as serving as an umbrella to the earth. The sun emits numerous types of ultraviolet radiation, some of which have the chance of reaching Earth and like other forms of radiation can be penetrating. This penetration into our body causes changes in our skin by altering the nature of our body including our DNA, when this happens, an increased chances of sunburn, skin cancer, and other health challenges may occur.

The Ozone layer serves as a natural sunscreen that blocks ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth. Over 95% of the Ultraviolet radiation (B) is blocked by the ozone layer, imagine if the ozone layer depletes further and about 10% of the UV (B) radiation reaches the earth, how catastrophic could that be for human health? Now you can see why the ozone layer protection day is important.

How Can I Protect The Ozone Layer?

Considering ways we (you) can protect the ozone layer is a great way of thinking. We are all responsible for the safety and other goodwill of our planet and our life as humans on Earth. It is important for individuals to take conscious steps to protect the ozone layer. Below are some actions that help keep the ozone layer out of holes.

• Think eco-friendly when considering household item use: Several household items especially used for cleaning may contain ozone layer-impairing chemicals. There are items that are designed with less toxicity for our planet. Using such less toxic items can help.
• Ride a bicycle, bus, or train: Riding the bus, train or bicycle limits the use of personal cars. For every bus carrying about 18 people, about four cars would be out of use. This reduces emissions by at least 50% everything being equal. When riding the train, especially the modern ones, this emission reduction gets even better and when you use a bicycle or other eco-friendly means of transportation, you become a real value.
• Limit some Herbicides and Pesticide use: While the use of pesticides and herbicides are common in agriculture and even home pest control, some of them contain chemicals harmful to the ozone layer. Using herbicides for weeding may have other advantages but could be reconsidered especially given the ozone layer depletion concern.
• Avoid chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) containing items: Your hair spray or even deodorants can be an enemy of the ozone layer. Even though the use of the chemical has been limited or banned, it still makes it through some of our products. As an individual, you can take personal steps regarding chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) by reading the label of your deodorant or hair spray to ensure they don’t contain the chemical.

Avoiding chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) is not just about deodorants or hair spray, older generations of refrigerators and air conditioners were using the chemical to function. It is important to stop using older generations of such devices that rely on the chemical.

• Be an advocate for Ozone Layer protection: When more people become part of protecting our ozone layer, more success can be achieved. Not just individuals but several governments around the world are not very informed on the importance of protecting the ozone layer. When awareness is growing, maybe individuals and the government will take a more proactive part in ensuring that Ozone layer protection measures and regulations are implemented.

Conclusion

It is important to create awareness for protecting our planet. Different governments and international organizations have been making efforts regarding the protection of the ozone layer. The ozone layer protection day should be a day that everyone should make a positive contribution to the safety of our planet.

Government regulations and efforts on the production and use of ozone layer-depleting substances are great however, not all governments are going in that direction. We need to make more efforts until more individuals, organizations, and governments key into the Montreal ozone layer protection protocol.