Essay on Amazing Atmosphere of the Earth

The third factor that plays a major role in causing skin cancer is the Ozone layer. It helps protect people from ultraviolet radiation. However, the ozone layer is shrinking and this is due to man-made products like sprays and combustion of cars that are emitted in the atmosphere. This process is allowing more ultraviolet penetration to the earth thus increasing risk of skin cancer (Bair, 1991, P. 367,368). Ultraviolet radiation are the chief causes for skin cancer because the UV radiation

The science that is connected with planet earth encompasses geosciences or earth science among others. Containing old histories, this is considered as a part of planetary science while it possesses holistic and reductionist approaches in the science of the planet Earth. This discipline can cope with lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere or hydrosphere. Quantitative understanding has been developed by the scientists to understand the ground systems with the tools by mathematics, physics, chronology, biology, chemistry alike that help to know how the universe is evolved.

Is the ozone depletion in Antarctica a sign of climate change in the world? Is it in someway related to C02 levels, that are related to climate change?

The ozone is a form of oxygen that combines three oxygen atoms in each molecule. Its important because its like a filter. CFCS, also known as, chlorofluorocarbons are used to break up some of the ozone molecules

In the late 1970’s scientists concluded that products releasing carbonflourochloride (CFC) was causing the ozone to deplete. The ozone layer is a protective layer from the sun’s rays and depleting the ozone layer allowed the stronger, harmful to health on earth, rays to get through. International action was taken in 1987 and the Montreal Protocol came into being. It was an international treaty to phase out CFC producing products. It went into effect in 1988 and has achieved international success. Once the Montreal Protocol had been agreed to the World Health Organization released information on the harmful effects CFC’s were having on the ozone

Improved air quality wasn’t a subject of national concern until the mid 1900s. After decades of coal burning, unregulated gas emissions from cars and the excessive burning of fossil fuels, people started noticing bad air quality as a hazard to their lives. Over several decades, after seeing the costly effects air pollution was having on the environment and people’s health, interest groups like the Friends of The Earth club and the influences of Theodore Roosevelt and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring finally came together to persuade the government to enforce legislation that would reduce air pollution. Because of these efforts, the policies of the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act of 1965, that aimed to control air pollution and raise air quality standards, helped create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970. Since then, the EPA has passed more air quality improvement acts, and amendments to previous acts passed, to increase restrictions on air pollutants, with their main policy concern being the Clean Air Act. Improved air quality acts imposed by the EPA have been successful in cleaning the United States’ air quality by reducing ground-level ozone pollution and reducing emissions, allowing for a decrease in pollution related deaths/illnesses and a better standard of living. The EPA, through regulations and the Clean Air Act, has delivered it’s promise to improve air quality in the United States.

-CFCs destruction to the ozone layer has allowed for UV radiation from the atmosphere to warm up the earth surface temperature higher than usual which is known as the greenhouse effect which has been known to assist in the growth of global warming. This exposure has also exposed humans to harmful UV radiation which can cause cancer.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is present in normal sunlight and sunlamps. “The sun emits energy over a broad spectrum of wavelengths: visible light that [one] can see, infrared radiation that [one] feels as heat, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation that [one] cannot see or feel. UV radiation has a shorter wavelength and higher energy than visible light. It affects human health both positively and negatively” (U.S. EPA). There are multiple types of ultraviolet radiation known to scientists and each affects human in different ways. “The longer ultraviolet rays (UVA), which penetrate deep into the skin, are responsible for tanning. Shorter rays (UVB) damage superficial skin cell layers, causing sunburn” (Harvard). Medical researchers at the Skin Cancer Foundation found that “the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging (wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots, and more), as well as skin cancer” (Skin Cancer Foundation).

In 1997, The Kyoto Protocol was adopted to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (EPA, n.d.). In spite of the international treaty, half of participating nations, including Canada failed to reducing its Co2 emissions (Clark, D., 2012, November 26).

The Clean Air Act has not experienced much revision since its conception in 1970. Recently, there have been attempts to include greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, in the legislation and execution of the Clean Air Act to make the list of criteria pollutants more comprehensive while simultaneously battling the emerging threat of climate change. This movement was initially sparked by the Montreal Protocol, which aims to eliminate the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances to limit damage to the ozone layer (International Actions, 2016). However, there has not been an official movement to include greenhouses gases into the Clean Air Act, because stakeholders have not been able to agree on a comprehensive market-based legislation

It has been proven that the Earth’s atmosphere blocks 98.7 percent of the sun’s UV rays. The other 2.3 percent that we are exposed to, have both beneficial and harmful effects. We do need to focus on the benefits, because we have way more of them. The only harm it does to our body is skin cancer, which by being more careful we can protect from. The

There are four major gases that cause the greenhouse effect.  These chemicals are Chloroflourocarbons (CFC’s), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Methane (CH4).  “CFC’s destroy ozone molecules by the thousands, causing a smaller amount of ozone in the ozone layer.  This allows more UV rays hit the Earth’s surface, causing a slight increase of the Earth’s temperature.  The more ozone molecules destroyed, the more UV rays enter the Earth’s atmosphere, making the temperature even higher”(What Is The Greenhouse Effect).

Scientists all over the world have been widely researching to find out ways in which the ozone layer is being destroyed through human actions. The ozone layer is gradually being destroyed by ozone depleting chemicals. These chemicals include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), methyl bromide, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride among others (Ryding 173). These chemicals are used locally in coolants, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, aerosol propellants and foaming agents.

National Geographic wrote the article “Good Ozone, Bad Ozone”. The article is about how there are both good parts of the ozone layer and some bad parts of the ozone layer. The ozone layer is only good when the gas is high above the ground if it is not then it can be very harmful for us. The bad thing about the ozone layer is it is made up of poisonous gasses. Approximately 90 percent of the earth’s ozone is called the stratosphere. Many scientists believe that ozone layer is being destroyed due to chemicals we use. The National Geographic was motivated to write this article to educate us on how the ozone layer has a good and a bad layer. Even though, the ozone layer is helpful because it protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays. It can be bad when the layer is depleted and

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s): CFC’s are lowering the average concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. “Since 1978 the use of CFC’s in aerosol cans has been banned in the United States, Canada and most Scandinavian countries. Aerosols are still used around the world and accounts for 25% of global CFC’s use”. (Miller 448). Spray cans discarded or leaking refrigerator and air conditioning equipment and the burning plastic foam products release the CFC’s into the atmosphere. Depending on the type, CFC’s stay in the atmosphere from 22 to 111 years.” Chlorofluorocarbons move up to the stratosphere gradually over several decades. Under high energy ultra violet (UV) radiation break them down and release chlorine atoms, which speed up the breakdown of ozone (O3) into oxygen (O2). Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as Freons, are green house gas that contributes to global warming. Photochemical air pollution is commonly referred to as “smog”. Smog is the contraction of the words smoke and fog, smog has been caused by water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny warm and dry climates with many motor vehicles. The worst episodes of