International Day for the preservation of Ozone Layer is an annual observance. It is celebrated on 16th of September every year to spread awareness and bring attention to the depletion of the ozone layer. This day is celebrated by organizing seminars, speeches, and national as well as international exhibitions worldwide. In schools, the annual science day is also organized and a lot of awareness is created by the means of media as well.
This day plays a very crucial role as it acts as a platform to discuss with friends, family and acquaintances in terms of contributing their share towards the well being of our planet ‘Earth’. Various campaigns are also launched that seek the recognition of masses and through this awareness is spread at a large scale. The day emphasizes on the international efforts to limit the production and release of harmful gases.
World Ozone Day (International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer) is being celebrated on Monday, 16th September 2019. The day is observed to make international community aware of the depleting ozone layer and its hazards.
The theme of World Ozone Day 2019 is “32 Years and Healing”. The theme marks almost three decades of international cooperation to address ozone depletion since the Montreal Protocol.
Several UN sponsored events were held at different locations throughout the globe to celebrate the success of reducing the rate of ozone depletion; however, steps to further improve were also assessed.
What will happen to Earth if the Ozone Layer is not Preserved?
Ozone layer is a layer of ozone molecules, which is found particularly in the stratosphere layer of atmosphere ranging between 20 to 40 km. Ozone layer is formed in the atmosphere when the ultraviolet rays from the sun break a single oxygen atom. The oxygen atom then merges with oxygen and thus forms the final ozone molecule. The problem that causes the depletion of this layer occurs when the harmful sun radiations after sticking the earth surface becomes unable to leave the atmosphere.
Most scientists agree that without the ozone layer, life on Earth will cease to exist. Water and land life would suffer as without the protection from the ozone layer people, sun, plant life and animals will be destroyed. Even the underwater life will be destroyed with the ozone depletion. The depletion disturbs the equilibrium, there are more summers than winters, the winters also arrive irregularly, and the icebergs start melting. Moreover, the depletion of this layer is a health and nature hazard.
Since 1994, 16th of September is annually celebrated as the International Day for the preservation for Ozone layer with a lot of enthusiasm in all the countries. This day was designated as the same by a declaration which was made by United Nations. It was done to commemorate the signing of Montreal Convention against the depletion of ozone layer in the year 2000 on 19th of December.
The Montreal Convention is an international treaty to safeguard the ozone layer by phasing out the harmful substances and gases all across the world. The participation in the International Day to protect ozone layers has always seen a huge and massive rise since 1995, which was the first year when this day was celebrated by the people worldwide.
The day is celebrated not only to commemorate the date on which the Montreal Convention was signed, but mainly to create awareness about how fast the ozone layer is getting depleted. The chief aim to observe this day as an international occasion is to generate a sense of awareness about the ozone layer, how it is formed and what are the methods to stop its depletion.
On this day through the medium of schools, colleges, organizations and media people connect to one another share their ideas for how the menace that is destructing our earth can be controlled. It educates the masses about the importance of environment and the significant means to protect it.
Annual celebration of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer has its own theme and keeps on changing from year to year. The theme of one year never gets repeated and every year a new and different theme is kept by the authorities. The International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was celebrated on the 16th September 2017 with the theme ‘Caring for all life under the Sun’.
The theme is kept on the motive that everyone should respect all the lives, humans should selflessly work to make environment and atmosphere clean so that not only humans, but also the plants and animals can live a healthy life. Themes of previous years are:
> The theme of 2019 is “32 Years and Healing”.
> The theme of 2018 was “Keep Cool and Carry On!”.
> The theme of 2017 was “Caring for all life under the sun”.
> Theme of 2016 was – “Ozone and climate: Restored by a world united”.
> Theme of 2015 was – “30 Years: Healing our Ozone together”.
> Theme of 2014 was – “Ozone Layer Protection – The Mission Goes on”.
> Theme of 2013 was – “Ozone Day – A healthy atmosphere, the future we want”.
> Theme of 2012 was – “Protecting our atmosphere for generations to come”.
> Theme of 2011 was – “HCFC phase-out: a unique opportunity”.
> Theme of 2010 was – “Ozone Layer Protection: Governance and Compliance at Their Best”.
> Theme of 2009 was – “Universal Participation: Ozone Protection Unifies the World”.
> Theme of 2008 was – “Montreal Protocol – Global partnership for global benefits”.
> Theme of 2007 was – “Celebrating 20 Years of Progress in 2007”.
> Theme of 2006 was – “Protect the Ozone Layer, Save Life on Earth”.
> Theme of 2005 was – “Act Ozone Friendly – Stay Sun Safe!”.
> Theme of 2004 was – “Save Our Sky: Ozone Friendly Planet, Our Target”.
> Theme of 2003 was – “Save Our Sky: There is a Hole Lot More to Do for Our Children”.
> Theme of 2002 was – “Save Our Sky: Protect yourself; protect the Ozone Layer”.
Since 1994, International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (World Ozone Day) is celebrated to raise awareness and understanding about the consequences of ozone layer depletion. Many are encouraged to come forward to share their efforts they have been putting to cut down the emission of harmful gases that cause environmental issues.
These people motivate others to get involved in awareness-raising campaigns and a wide range of activities that are organized for the celebration of this international occasion. The workers of different nongovernmental organizations launch awareness rallies rising slogans to spread the cause of the day.
The media plays a positive role on this day by organizing many volunteer programs online to contribute to different NGO’s to distribute important materials regarding this issue to people to educate them. Youngsters nowadays use Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites on this day to promote the theme of International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
They share events in their area, famous environmental quotes and facts, add photos based on the theme of that particular year and give online speeches on the substantial topics related to ozone depletion and its repercussions. The celebration of International Day on Ozone is celebrated differently in the given countries:
India
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated in India by students with a lot of fervour and spirit. The day witnesses huge rallies launched on the sidetracks of city roads, students giving speeches on the annual ozone day which is often celebrated on this day, college students organizing state level campaigns to advocate on this topic and thereby deducing different measures to control the depletion of ozone layer. Indian Government provides recognition and scholarships to the discreet people who invent creative ways to cut down the emission of harmful gases and substance which is not only economic but permanent too.
The ministry of Environment and Public Health launches certain programmes to collect the new data of the gases present in the atmosphere to keep the citizens abreast of recent changes that the Earth is facing. These updated stats are then given to different universities to study them comprehensively and provide substantial solutions to the issue.
Australia
Australia along with other countries celebrates the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer by participating in the international effort through various programmes. The youth of the nation in form of small groups approach people and talk to them about how our negligence has cost our environment and ignite hope to bring some positive changes. The day is full of organic activities.
Students generally get topics in their institutes to write essays, paragraphs or articles so that the teachers can comprehend their understanding about how serious they take environment in this technical world. Area wise activities based on the theme of the year is organised by the government in order to celebrate and spread awareness.
Europe
Europe is a huge continent and this is why the contribution of this continent is also high in the population crises and also in its control. On the International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer the entire population makes a call to people from all the generation to join this fight in a mass number to get themselves aware of the real environment situations and also be the agent of an effective programme against ozone depleting issue. The celebration takes place in schools, colleges, universities through various activities to generate and spread a word about this menace that has created much problem in the climatic conditions.
Africa
In Africa, World Ozone Day is observed in the form of various activities, events that are held in academic and professional sectors by the dynamic population to increase the knowledge about these environmental crises. Volunteers and staff of various environment research committees talk about the depletion of ozone layer to common people to raise funds and distribute them to other organisations in their inventions which can decrease the emission of harmful substances.
Environment is a very detailed term, it comprises of everything that is above and below us. The atmosphere above us comprises of different layers and the one called stratosphere is also called the Ozone Layer. Due to a lot of commotion in today’s environment, the balance between what is above and below us is highly disturbed. A lot of development and modernization in our country has increased the danger to our people environmentally. The impact has been on the health and integrity of our organic resources such as soil, land, forests, water. Suggestions for celebrating International Day of Preservation of the Ozone Layer in India include;
Conclusion
Everything on our planet Earth is interrelated to one another. The mother Earth provides us with so many valuable environmental facilities without which we cannot survive. Therefore, we should adopt more organic and holistic manner to make its use, the one where both get benefited without causing any destruction. Ozone depletion is the major cause for today’s climatic conditions. It is not present in a huge dimension today, but if not regulated properly, it might cause some serious destruction to the developing as well as developed countries. World Ozone Day provides a great platform among the people of the world to make them aware that it’s high time and we must all put our best of efforts to preserve the ozone layer.