International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 🌎

The ozone layer is a protective layer of gas that shields the Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun. While the Sun is essential for life, it also emits radiation that is too much for living beings to survive. This is where this layer of high concentration of ozone comes in and makes life as we know it possible for us. In the late 1970s, however, scientists realized that human activity was destroying the ozone layer. They discovered a hole that was caused by ozone-depleting gases, often found in air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. This depletion of the ozone layer, in turn, was affecting life on Earth — the destruction of plants and ecosystems, increase in skin cancer, etc. The scientists’ discovery highlighted the importance of the ozone layer and the dire need to preserve it. The international community rose to the occasion. In 1985, 28 countries adopted and signed the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, a formal declaration to come together and protect the ozone layer. In September 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was drafted. This prompted countries to unite their efforts and eliminate 99% of all ozone-depleting substances. Owing to this successful effort, the ozone layer is healing. To commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 16 as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer in 1994. Also known as World Ozone Day, September 16 has since then been dedicated each year to the appreciation and preservation of this protective layer and the success of the Vienna Convention.