A Video Presentation: Montreal Protocol

Where does depletion of ozone came from?

Many of us does only know that our Ozone Layer is being destroyed by the CFC's but only few know what are the materials that creates the CFC's. There are also other substance that causes the depletion of the Ozone Layer, other than CFC's which is the very common cause of it. May be some of your things are helping to the depletion of the Ozone Layer, therefore here are the most common materials that are being used by people all over the world.

INSULATING MATERIALS

These materials are being used on buildings because of the good benefits it gives to us. The materials are used to reduce heat transfer from the sun or any thing that forms heat by conduction, radiation or convention and it is also incorporates in achieving desired temperature. But there is still some bad side of using insulating materials like high cost of it, contains hazardous components such as benzene and toluene, and most of all it contains a HCFC's which is also have some ozone depletion potential.

REFRIGERATORS

Most of us does have a refrigerators for our food to store and many still does not know how our refrigerators affect in depletion of Ozone Layer. The refrigerator creates a cooling technique, because of this it transfers heat inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature. But manufacturing of the refrigerator affects the ozone most especially if the old ones and ready for disposal. It is all because of the FREON used inside that makes the cooling of the fridge and help to the depletion of the ozone.

AIR CONDITIONER

This is also closely related to the refrigerator cycle which helps a room to have a cooler temperature and reduce the humidity of the air processed by the system. It is common in a room but it is also used in other vehicles such as cars, buses, ships, airplanes and trains. This also uses the FREON that helps in depletion of the ozone layer.

AEROSOLS SPRAY

This is also came from a can that contains a liquid droplets in a gas like a smogs and smokes and the most common aerosol are clouds because of lesser density. Aerosols before was once used with CFC components. But now it is replaced by mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons which is flammable in use.

All of the materials said above where controlled by the Montreal Protocol and now used the alternative components to help in protecting the ozone layer.

Solution to Depletion - Action and Cooperation

One of the environmental issues that threatens the Mother Earth from the past decades is the Ozone depletion. Ozone layer is what protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun that can cause cancer and other infectious diseases.

Due to ozone depletion, our ecosystem is also affected. The life cycle of plants and animals will change and disrupting the food chain. Even the marine life is also threatened. The producers like plankton might die and will greatly affect all other organisms.

It is identified that the leading cause of this problem is the production and emission of CFCs. And as a solution, the Montreal Protocol was made. It is a treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.

Everybody must help hand in hand for saving our planet before it is too late. There should be a unified action. We should protect our home, our Mother Earth. Act now and cooperate.

One Planet, One Unity

We live in a universe with only one world. We live in a planet with only one rational specie. And we humans are the rational being. A rational person thinks before acting, analyze everything, and know how to take care of what is taking care of us.

We are living because our planet is giving us everything we need. Need means everything to sustain a living. We are lucky enough that this planet we are living is a perfect planet in order for us to live. But sad to say this planet we are living today is no more like the planet it used to be. I know for the fact that humans are mostly the cause of the destruction of this planet. We make our own waste that is killing the natural ecosystem of our planet. We pollute the natural resources of mother earth.

We say that we are the steward of God's creation. So what we need to do is take care of our home planet. The Montreal Protocol is one thing that we rational beings became one in order to save our planet. What the Montreal Protocol is doing is not really for the sake of our planet, but for our safety in order to prevent the destruction of our planet. Let us help each other, learn from one another. If we don't act now, when? And if not now, maybe there will be no other time.

                     

Let us not wait for the time when our planet can no longer sustain our living.

History of Montreal Protocol

Historical background

The issue about ozone depletion was first discussed by the United Nations Environment Programme in 1976. In September 1987, several countries agreed upon to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of man-made ozone depleting substances(ODS) under the Montreal Protocol on Subtances the Deplete the Ozone Layer. This is an adoption of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985. The Protocol was amended and substantially strengthened at Conferences of the Perties in London (1990), Copenhagen (1992), Vienna(1995), Montreal (1997) and Beijing (1999).

Montreal protocol in numbers:

2: Number of Nobel prize winners that discovered CFC as a factor in ozone depletion. They are Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland.

197: Number of countries that singed the treaty and became part of the protocol.

1987: Year the protocol was signed.

35%: percentage of the reduced consumption of hydrochloroflourocarbon (HCFCs)

Health Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation

We are all aware of what is happening to the earth's ozone layer. Yes it is invisible to us but it is visible enough to block the ultraviolet radiation. There is a beneficial to small amount of ultraviolet radiation, but because of the  depletion of  the ozone layer the small amount that we are getting are becoming enormous enough resulting to health risk in a human person.

This article is not to tell that UV is bad. UV is also used in treatment of certain diseases. According to the World Health Organization, UV is use to treat several diseases including rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice. This takes place under medical supervision and the benefits of treatment versus the risks of UV radiation exposure are a matter of clinical judgement. 

But as I said, a small amount of UV is beneficial, and skin diseases resulting to cancer is an effect of huge exposure to UV. Sunburn is an acute effect of too much exposure to UV. According to the WHO too much exposure to UV radiation also affects our eyes and the immune system. worst effect of  UV to the eyes is cataract.

An article in WHO says:

Worldwide some 12 to 15 million people become blind from cataracts annually, of which up to 20% may be caused or enhanced by sun exposure according to WHO estimates. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence suggests that environmental levels of UV radiation may suppress cell-mediated immunity and thereby enhance the risk of infectious diseases and limit the efficacy of vaccinations. Both of these act against the health of poor and vulnerable groups, especially children of the developing world. Many developing countries are located close to the equator and hence, people are exposed to the very high levels of UV radiation that occur in these regions.

 We are always being warned of the effects of the wrong doings of man. But we are lucky enough that we and our governments are aware of the situation happening to the planet we are living in. Thanks to the Montreal Protocol, things producing CFC that depletes the ozone layer are being phased out. As Koffi Annan quoted saying "perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol".

MONTREAL PROTOCOL FACTS!

According to research of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Montreal Protocol has helped both to REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING and to PROTECT OUR OZONE LAYER!

TRIVIA: The ozone layer is higher in altitude in the tropics(hot climate), and lower in altitude in the extratropics(middle latitudes), especially in the polar regions.

TRIVIA: most ozone(O3)exists in the stratosphere for about 90% and with the measurement of between 10km and 50km above the surface of the earth!

The thickness of the ozone layer varies by a large factor worldwide like the seasons in different hemisphere. That is why for about 197 countries are already part of the MONTREAL PROTOCOL in helping OUR OZONE LAYER.