The article I read was about the expansion of the hole in the ozone layer above the Arctic. I read that the expansion is due to both environmental causes possibly coupled with CFC’s, and that the hole is large enough to put many people at risk for harmful UV radiation in parts of Russia, Greenland, and Norway. This could lead to melanoma as well as cataracts. This hole can change from year to year, expanding or lessening, but there is a concern that this expansion could be a yearly event. The article talked about cracking down on CFC emissions in a United Nations treaty, but stated that it would be months before their use is completely phased out.
There is only so much that can be done about this problem due to the surrounding natural causes. It will most likely persist, but could possibly be lessened by reducing emissions, greenhouse gases, and CFC’s. I think the UN is on the right track with their treaty against CFC’s. I think this could help out somewhat, along with personal attention to ones carbon footprint. I thought it was interesting to read about how the ozone layer could change so much, especially considering the hole in the Arctic increased by around fifty percent since last year. The picture of the hole (see link) was shocking to me. It was hardy even distinguishable that it was the same part of the earth, due to the drastic change. I think one important personal measure to take if you lived in the affected areas would be to wear a lot of sunscreen and some type of eye protection, and to be cautious about what resources you consume.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/03/arctic-ozone-layer-hole-expands
1 comment:
Things like this are difficult because the change is happening so quickly, and is a result of so many factors. But the steps to reversing it would be so much harder and take a lot more time than it did to create it. The image link was really helpful, most people and that includes myself don't really know what the ozone layer looks like in terms of where the hole is.
Post a Comment