Blog 2 - Ozone Layer

Success of environmental action against the problem of the hole in the ozone layer

The ozone layer prevents biologically damaging solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. Ozone is a molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms and has the chemical formula O3. Since the 1970’s, serious concern regarding ozone depletion have been raised by scientists world-wide, such that depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer has been one of the most prominent environmental issues over the last forty years. Depletion occurs when human-made compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) release chlorine atoms, which can destroy ozone. CFCs were produced from the 1950s to early 1990s for use in refrigerators, aerosols and air conditioners. In 1985, researchers discovered a large and unexpected depletion of ozone over Antarctica in the southern spring. This phenomenon was labelled the “hole in the ozone layer” in the popular press (Chipperfield, 2017).  


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Enviro Win Blog 2 - Click here to View

These EnviroBlogs are part of a set of three EnviroBlogs describing the success of large-scale environmental actions - Dr John K Lee.

​Citation references, Paragraph and Section references are those contained in Dr John K Lee's PhD Thesis “Values and science in contemporary education: The study and impact of student orientation”. The Thesis document is available in the University of Newcastle repository, here: https://openresearch.newcastle.edu.au/articles/thesis/Values_and_science_in_contemporary_education_the_study_and_impact_of_student_orientation/28975331