The Ozone Layer And Your Health

The Ozone Layer and Your Health

The depletion of the ozone layer is not some abstract scientific finding that is only of interest to scientists. The depletion of the ozone layer isimportant to the preservation of human health. That is, in order to preserve human health and all life on earth, it is absolutely necessary that the ozone layer be protected. Why is the depletion of theozone layer so important to protecting human health?
The impact of the ozone layer and the depletion of the ozone layer, on human health have been felt more acutely in some areas than other.People who live south of the equator in countries such as Australia and Chile have felt the consequences of the ozone layer. In many parts of the southern hemisphere, including the aforementionedcities, people have had to deal with the consequences of a thinning ozone layer. This strikes especially hard during the spring months when UV alerts are given to citizens during the spring months whenlobes of ozone depleted stratospheric air pockets move outward from the Antarctic. To make matters worse, the ozone above some of these areas can reach as low as half the normal concentration of ozone.This means that UV radiation will reach these areas by a much greater percentage.
What sort of impact does the depletion of the ozone layer have on human health? In some of these areas, it isestimated that one out of every three Australians will develop some kind of serious skin cancer in his or her lifetime. Many of these kinds of skin cancers are serious enough that they can be fatal.Clearly, the depletion of the ozone layer can have very serious and direct effects on human health, especially to people living in ozone-depleted areas.
What about the human health ofpopulations living in the northern hemisphere? Those of us living in the northern hemisphere are certainly not immune to seeing the problems that populations south of the equator have had to experience....