World Ozone Day 2020 Image: September 16 is observed as World Ozone Day every year
World Ozone Day 2020: Life on our planet as we know would not be possible without the ozone layer. Ozone is a highly reactive gas found in the upper layers of the atmosphere and protects life on earth from the Sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. Ozone protects life but it can also be harmful in concentrated quantities near the surface of the earth as it is produced when air pollutants react in sunlight. As we observe World Ozone Day on September 16, it is important to remember the delicate balance in our atmosphere. This year the slogan for World Ozone Day is 'Ozone For Life'.
World Ozone Day 2020: Why it is a milestone
"On Ozone Day we celebrate 35 years of the Vienna Convention to Protect the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol, which united the world to cut out gases creating a hole in the ozone layer. We need this same sense of purpose and collaboration to address all environmental threats," Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) said in a video message ahead of World Ozone Day.
World Ozone Day 2020 Image: See in pics why the ozone layer is crucial for us
World Ozone Day 2020: Ozone Facts
- Sometime in the late 1970s, scientists found out that gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners for cooling were creating a hole in the ozone layer
- This was a cause of great concern as the dangerous UV rays of the sun were creating severe health issues including skin cancers
- It was a wake-up call for governments across the world. In 1985, countries adopted the 'Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer'
- Under the Vienna Convention's Montreal Protocol, nations worked together to cut out 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances
- In 2019, the Kigali Amendment came into force as a follow-up to the Montreal Protocol
- The Kigali Amendment called for reducing greenhouse gases which cause global warming, the latest cause of worry for nations
The slogan 'Ozone For Life' is a reminder for people to care for the environment for sustainable and healthy life on earth.