World Ozone Day 2013; let’s play our role to stop ozone depletion

World Ozone Day 2013 is being observed on 16^th September to invite the attention of global fraternity towards fast depleting ozone layer. It was decided by United Nations Environment Program in 1994 to observe this day to sensitise the world community on significance of this issue. Since then it is being observed every year  on 16^th September and different type of awareness activities are organised by governmental, non-governmental, non-profit, corporate and private organisations to mark this day. The theme of World Ozone Day 2013 is “A healthy atmosphere, the Future We Want”.

What is ozone layer?

Ozone is a layer in stratosphere (the middle level of Earth) that protect us from ultraviolet rays that otherwise directly fall on us causing skin cancer and damaging
our natural resources and agriculture crops. Because of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone depleting substances (ODS) from Earth the ozone layer was depleted a lot and it was likely that ultra violet rays would fall directly on Earth. This issue was taken up by global green leaders in Montreal Protocol and it was decided to replace all equipments that release ODS. Main equipment that deplete the ODS are;

• Refrigeration equipments (particularly made before 1994)
• Fire extinguishers that still emit chlorofluorocarbons
• Insulating foams and aerosol sprays including body spray and cleaning sprays of non-registered companies

Now the replacement of all such equipment is simply the guarantee from their manufacturers that their products do not emit any type of ODS. The safe alternate of CFC is hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that does not harm the ozone layer much. After 1994 the issue of ozone layer depletion was seriously taken up by all the major countries of the world and most of them have banned all such equipments that emit ODS. Developing and least developing countries attended this issue lately and little slowly but they have also almost controlled it at their level. It is generally believed that now ozone layer is not being depleted in as fast pace as it was being done before 1980 when the issue was not brought to the notice of global leaders.

Cool ways to protect ozone layer

Being individual you can play your role to stop ozone layer from further depletion in following ways:

• If your refrigeration equipment was made in or before 1994 just treat it as scrap and sell it as scrap and ensure it must not be reused by the buyer for any type of refrigeration
• From now if you buy a refrigerator or air conditioner never forget to check if it has certificate of ozone depletion protection duly issued by the environmental regulator of your country
• If you plan to replace your CFC emitting refrigerator or air conditioner after end of its service, do it right now because of ozone depleting substance in it. You must assume its life is finished and now you have to buy a HFC emitting refrigerator or air conditioner to play your role for the protection of ozone layer from further depletion.
• Offices both government and private must allocate an amount in their yearly budget to replace all such equipment that contain ODS with those that are free from such substances
• Before buying any kind of spray including body spray or cleaning spray you must check if there is a little ozone depleting substance in it. Despite complete wipe out of such sprays you must check this for your own satisfaction.

So on the occasion of World Ozone Day 2013 on 16^th September we will check if we are following the above ways and also let our friends and colleagues know about it. Especially those working in offices of government or private sector should try to ask their management to replace all such equipments that have ODS with those that do not emit gases harmful to ozone layer. Together we can bring change of any type.