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Global Climate Change Project

Kenny Truong

Ozone Depletion
The ozone is being depleted due to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other substances called ozone-depleting substances emitted by us humans. Other pollutants include the greenhouse gases that we put into the air. Fortunately there is an international treaty that has been passed to reduce theproduction and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in the atmosphere, called the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol was passed on September 16, 1987 and has been ratified by 197 countries as of December 29, 2012. crops more susceptible to pests. Youve heard the problems to ozone, thankfully there are solutions to the harmful ozone at ground level and the hole in the atmospheric ozone. One solution to preventing ground level ozone is to carpool, use public transportation, walk or bike rather than driving car. Cars release gases that, when mixed with sunlight creates ozone. Another solution is to use environmentally safe products. Products that contain smog can evaporate and turn into the harmful ozone. One last solution is to use What is the ozone? The ozone is a energy efficient electronics so that layer in our atmosphere (located in the electric plants release fewer stratosphere) that protects us from the chemicals. Solutions to the hole in suns harmful ultraviolet rays and a the ozone in the stratosphere include pollutant directly from smog at ground the Montreal Protocol as said before. level. The health effects of the depletion Another solution is to educate people of ozone in our stratosphere are that it about the depletion of our ozone in allows more UV rays to come in and hit the stratosphere. Public awareness the Earth. These UV rays that hit Earth can pressure governments to ratify may make people more susceptible to the Montreal Protocol, preventing risks like skin cancer and cataracts. In more harmful substances like CFCs to our environment, crops like rice and soy get into the layer, giving the will be damaged by the rays or reduce stratosphere more time to naturally crop yield anddirectly damages fish, recover the ozone. Another law that shrimp, crab, amphibians and other has passed in the United States is the animals during their early development. Clean Air Act, which regulates what It also reduces the size of phytoplankton is being polluted from factories and population, meaning less food for the plants. This can regulate the rest of the food chain to eat. These UV emission of CFCs, halons, and rays contribute to the ground level greenhouse gases. ozone. Ground level ozone comes directly from smog and harms humans by causing lung diseases and inflammation while inhaling the smog. It also irritates the eyes. Environmental effects from ground level ozone include interfering with plants ability to store and produce food, reducing crop yields. It also weakens vegetation by making these

The layers of the atmosphere