OZONE

What is it?

Why We Need Ozone and How to Protect It

Written by Shirley Baston

Ozone is a layer of our stratosphere that protects all life on Earth by controlling the temperature of the atmosphere. The ozone layer absorbs the ultraviolet (UV) rays (radiation) of our sun and without this, the temperature of our atmosphere would rise making it impossible for any life to exist on this planet.

This warm layer of modified oxygen exists in our upper stratosphere. Ozone envelops the earth in a protective layer from six to thirty miles above the earth's surface. It is explosive and toxic in high concentrations, but is virtually nonexistent at the earth's surface simply because it decomposes on contact with solid matter.

Its concentration is greatest at about 12 to 18 miles above the earth and is only about one ten-thousandth of one percent of our atmosphere. At sea level temperature and pressure it is barely one tenth of an inch thick…pretty meager protection; or so it seems.

In parts of the world where the ozone is the thinnest, we see more cases of sunburn, skin cancer, skin sensitivities, cataracts and cataract blindness. This is evident in people who live at high altitudes.

The oxygen we breathe is made up of molecules with two atoms. Ozone is created when ultraviolet rays split a normal, two-atom oxygen molecule. Each of those atoms then attaches itself to another normal, two-atom molecule, making a three-atom molecule. Ozone is made up of these three-atom molecules.

You can see then that our protective ozone layer is created by UV rays and absorbs UV rays. The three-atom molecules are also destroyed by the UV rays; the UV rays splitting off the extra atom. At the top of the ozone layer this activity is generally in balance. At the lower levels the UV rays have been absorbed by this process and the transformation barely takes place. Thus, we have a more highly concentrated layer of ozone which the UV rays cannot penetrate so easily…hence our protection.

Left alone, ozone will do its delicate dance, both creating and destroying itself. However, man puts billions of tons of pollutants into the air daily that also destroy our ozone and nature cannot keep up with creating it.

We know aerosol propellants, super sonic aircraft and inefficient burning of fossil fuels, by their very nature, create a different type of ozone near the earth's surface. Unfortunately, it is the kind of ozone that can destroy itself but cannot recreate itself. As we increase our output of agents that do this, we decrease our ozone layer.

Gradually, we are destroying our ozone layer. Our air and oceans will warm and plant and marine life will die. We too will die but it will be a toss-up as to whether we will die from exposure to UV rays, starvation because we can't produce food or from a lack of oxygen. It is up to each individual to be aware of the chemicals he uses and how much gasoline, oil, coal or other fossil fuels he burns. In order to protect our life-giving ozone for future generations, we must each be vigilant.
 
 
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9-3-01

Re edited by Shirley Baston [email protected] ICQ # 15167279