World Ozone Day or International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated every year on 16 September. The day is observed to create awareness among people about the harmful effects of ozone layer depletion. The ozone layer is a protective shield that is important for the preservation and sustenance of life on the planet Earth. It protects us from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the Sun and prevents global warming and other environmental hazards.
Every year, International Ozone Day is recognised with a specific theme. This year, the theme of World Ozone Day 2022 is 'Global Cooperation to Protect Life on Earth'. The first-ever Ozone Day was celebrated on 16 September 1995.
16 September was officially declared as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on 19 December 1994 by the the UN General Assembly to commemorate the Montreal Protocol, which is a global treaty to protect the ozone layer from depletion. The Montreal Protocol was formed in 1987 against the consumption of substances that are a threat to the ozone layer.
World Ozone Day 2022: Inspirational Quotes To Protect Ozone Layer
"You don't know how to fix the holes in our Ozone layer. You don't know how to bring salmon back up a dead stream. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back forests that once grew where there is now desert. If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it!" [Severn Cullis-Suzuki].
"Laboratory experiments, field observations and atmospheric modeling calculations have now established that chemical reactions occurring on PSC particles play a central role in polar ozone depletion." [Mario J Molina]
"It's absolutely stupid that we live without an ozone layer. We have men, we've got rockets, we've got saran wrap – fix it!" [Lewis Black].
"We have rocked the ozone radically, man. They could probably fix the ozone if everybody stopped what they were doing and they put some cement up there" [Mike D].
"We're gonna do a Bowling for Dollars-type thing, but it'll be Breakdancing on Cardboard for Yen for the ozone layer, so it'll be called Breaking in Space" [Adam Yauch].
"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].
"I was part of Environment Canada's work to stop acid rain, create national parks, clean up the Great Lakes, develop new environmental legislation and negotiate the treaty that saved the ozone layer" [Elizabeth May].
"So I'm going to go on and work on preserving the ozone layer, encouraging everyone to recycle" [Dean Stockwell].
Intersting Facts About Ozone Layer You Should Know
1. A Swiss chemist named Christian Schonbein first discovered ozone in 1839 while researching electrical discharges. Due to its pungent smell, he discovered a component that can be easily created by an arc welder or spark plug. He gave it the name 'Ozone'.
2. The ozone layer was originally measured in Europe in 1913 by French scientists Henry Buisson and Charles Farby, who are also credited for making the actual discovery of ozone gas.
3. There are both good and bad ozone layers. A good ozone layer is created naturally via a photochemical reaction and protects living beings from harmful UV rays. Bad ozone gas, on the other hand, is harmful and is present in the troposphere.
4. The ozone layer is responsible for absorbing almost 98 percent of harmful UV rays. Therfore, it regulates the earth's temperature and prevents global warming.
5. Chlorofluorocarbons, once considered as miraculous elements, are a major threat to the ozone layer.
6. In the year 1985, a hole was discovered in the ozone layer over the Antarctic region and since then, measures are being taken to replenish the ozone layer.
7. The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, was adopted in 1987 and is aimed to prevent the use of substances responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.
World Ozone Day 2022: Images and Posters
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