International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
Without the ozone, we would all get radiation, the planet would cool, and life as we know it would end. Thankfully, the ozone acts as a warm protective blanket, trapping in the heat from the sun to keep us warm, while blocking out harmful UV rays. In 1987, swift action was taken to preserve the ozone layer by limiting or banning the use of harmful chemicals (known as CFCs and HFCs) that destroy the ozone. We celebrate this victory every year on September 16. The ozone is healing and is expected to return to its full strength by about 2050.
Yay! We love the ozone...but not so fast.
There is another ozone that we don’t like...and it’s right down here on earth in the air we breathe everyday. We are actually creating more ozone (which is the molecule, Trioxygen O3) everyday through the mixing of industrial emissions, carbon emissions, and sunlight. This typically happens near cities especially in warm summer months or in the winter when warm air is trapped by the cold air above it. This “bad” ozone can cause throat and lung irritation, asthma, or emphysema. No thanks!
This lower ozone is also a major contributor to warming our planet, which appears to be causing global climate change. So now, instead of one cozy blanket, in certain areas we have two. We’re getting too hot. We only need one blanket.
One way to reduce the levels of bad ozone is to reduce carbon emissions. This means burning less fossil fuels and buying carbon offsets. Carbon offsets support the clean energy initiatives such as wind farms. Currently, it is cheaper to produce dirty energy, so that’s what we do. Buying carbon offsets helps us to transition to clean energy more quickly. As we change our habits, we will find a much cleaner healthier planet that we can enjoy for years to come.
Good news! From September 15-17, we are partnering with EcoCart to allow you to purchase carbon offsets during checkout at ricelove.com. This purchase will offset the carbon footprint from the manufacturing and shipping your order. It only costs 1-2% of your order value to make your order carbon neutral. Thank you for joining with us in keeping the planet healthy!
Sources:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/ozone-day
https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/health-effects-ozone-pollution
https://co2coalition.org/2018/04/13/does-co2-deplete-the-ozone-layer
