September 16 is celebrated worldwide as Ozone Layer Protection Day. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This date was introduced by the United Nations in 1994 and reminds humanity of its high responsibility towards nature. The ozone layer is an invisible but vital protective shield located in the upper layer of the Earth's atmosphere.
It protects humans and all living creatures from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Without this natural shield, problems such as skin cancer, eye diseases, and ecosystem disruptions would certainly increase.
In the 1980s, scientists discovered that the ozone layer was weakening and depleting due to certain chemical substances. This discovery became the basis for global ecological cooperation.
In 1985, 28 countries signed the Vienna Convention, reaching an agreement on protecting the ozone layer. Two years later, the Montreal Protocol was adopted.
This document envisages the gradual elimination of harmful substances such as chlorofluorocarbons used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosols. The Montreal Protocol is recognized as the most effective international agreement in human history.
Today, over a hundred harmful chemicals are under control, and many products have been eliminated ahead of schedule. This process is being successfully implemented in both developed and developing countries.
In 2016, new amendments were made to the protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, reaching an agreement to gradually reduce hydrofluorocarbons, which affect climate change. According to scientists, if the established rules are strictly followed, the ozone layer could be fully restored by the 2050s.
This demonstrates that humanity can achieve great results in protecting nature when acting together. Every person must properly dispose of old refrigerators and air conditioners, use products that do not harm nature, and make ecological habits a lifestyle.
Protecting the ozone layer is not only the responsibility of specialists or governments but also a personal responsibility of every individual. Humanity's experience in this regard means that no one has the right to delay protecting nature.
Each of us must contribute to preserving the ozone layer for ourselves and future generations.
