International Ozone Day observed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 16 2015:
All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) organised the International Ozone Day 2015 and Precious Ozone: 30th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the protection of ozone today under the auspices of Directorate of Environment, Manipur Govt at Manipur Press Club.
Prof N Rajmohon, Dept of Chemistry, MU; AMWJU president W Shamjai and advisers of AMWJU N Tombiraj and Salam Bharat Bhusan attended the programme as the presidium members.
Speakers of the function including Prof N Rajmohon said the first ozone hole was discovered over Antartica 30 years ago in May 1985 .
This massive "hole" in the ozone layer triggered panic leading to the signing of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol.
Since 1994, September 16 has been celebrated as World Ozone Day to mark the date this deal was signed.
The day commemorates the Montreal Protocol that was signed by 24 UN member nations in 1987, to limit and ultimately phase out the production of man-made chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and 95 other ozone-depleting materials.
Prof Rajmohon said ozone plays a vital role in shielding life from the harmful ultraviolet light on Earth, its depletion can have major effects on human's health and the surroundings as well.
The ozone layer is very important to humans and other organisms on Earth as it absorbs biologically harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the sun.
Effects of the ozone layer depletion by human activities on the planet could be disastrous.
The ozone layer can be saved only when we reduce the use of carbon, he added.