International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was celebrated worldwide on 16th September, designed by the United Nations General Assembly. In addition, this International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer depicts the significance of the ozone layer for life on Earth and spreads consciousness regarding its preservation. 

The ozone layer protects the Earth from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, and it has been effectively a light shield of gas. Moreover, the Ozone layer of the Earth’s stratosphere is situated nine to eighteen miles above the surface of the Earth, and it plays a major role in protecting the health of the people and the atmosphere.    

The background of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

  • In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared 16th September as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, honoring the date of signing 1987 of the Montreal Protocol on substances that reduce the Ozone layer in its resolution 49/114. 
  • This ozone layer was invented in 1913 by the French physicists Henri Buisson and Charles Fabry.
  • The Montreal Protocol, finalized in 1987, has been a worldwide agreement for protecting the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the consumption and production of ozone-reducing substances.
  • Schonbein recognized the ozone layer in the atmosphere in 1867 and shortly confirmed it by Andrews in 1868 by utilizing chemical means.
  • The measurements of the solar spectrum were afterward utilized for estimating the amount of ozone at the path between the ground and the Sun.

The subject matter of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

  • International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer in 2022 has been ‘Montreal Protocol@35: global cooperation protecting life on the Earth’. 
  • Such a theme identifies the broader impact the Montreal Protocol possesses on climate change and the need for acting at teamwork, building partnerships, and developing worldwide cooperation for addressing the climatic challenges and protecting life on the Earth for future generations. 
  • This International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer has been marked to remind governments and individuals regarding the vitality of the ozone layer towards the survival of human beings on Earth.

The glimpses of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

  • The slogan of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is ‘Ozone for life,’ which reminds human beings that ozone has been critical for life on the Earth and that humans should continue to protect the ozone layer in future generations.
  • Such an ozone layer possesses crucial work, which has been to absorb most of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
  • Too much contact with ultraviolet rays has been detrimental to the health of human beings, and these harmful ultraviolet rays cause premature aging, sunburns, eye problems, and a weakened immune system. 
  • The largest concern regarding ultraviolet radiation is cancer, and animals and humans get cancer from extreme exposure to ultraviolet rays.

The symbolism of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

  • The environment has been impacted, and excessive ultraviolet rays slow down the growth method of plants, and when this occurs, particular species become extinct, minimizing the worldwide food supply.
  • The substances known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs) have been the things that have caused a reduction in the ozone layer.
  • These chlorofluorocarbons have been found in an aerosol that comes in cans, and the hydrochlorofluorocarbons have been the harmful gases found in coolants.
  • At the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, educators around the entire universe organize activities in their classrooms emphasizing the ozone layer’s significance.   

The phase of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

  • Other firms foster ozone-friendly items, distribute public consciousness posters and hold different events planned towards saving the ozone layer at International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.  
  • 16th September each year has been devoted towards a cause that may not be applicable visibly but has been the most vital in the modern age and day.