CB Bureau‘The phasing out of nearly 100 substances that were being used in refrigerators and air conditioners, and restrictions on aerosols’ use worldwide have stopped the ozone layer from being depleted further. Although it is not yet increasing,
it is expected to get its full strength by the middle of this century,’ says a United
Nations report released last week.
The scientists say that efforts to protect the ozone layer have averted
millions of cases of skin cancer across the globe.
In India, while speaking at the International
Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on September 16, Minister of State
for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh expressed faith in the country’s ability
to meet the targets set to control the depletion of the ozone layer.
It was on September 16, 1987, that
the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer was signed.
The minister said the country
is taking giant strides in this direction. ‘We have achieved the goal to stop the use of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) before 17 months of our commitments. Now, steps are
being taken to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), responsible for
global warming, by 2030,’ said Ramesh.
Ramesh appreciated the
ongoing Chiller Energy Efficiency Project that is being assisted by the World
Bank to accelerate the transfer of CFC-based technology into an energy-efficient and environmental-compliant technology. He also cautioned
manufacturers of high HCFCs products like air conditioners, chillers and
refrigerators to get their processes in line with ozone-friendly practices.
The ozone layer outside the polar regions is projected to recover to
pre-1980 levels by 2048, although the annual springtime ozone hole over the
Antarctic is not expected to recover until 2073, reports the Daily Mail.
Ozone in
the stratosphere is important because it absorbs some of the sun’s dangerous
ultraviolet radiation.
Commit not to drive on January 30, 2011: http://www.causebecause.com/nodrivingday.php