September 16 every year is observed as "World Ozone Day". The celebration of this day is made to pay our homage to the ozone layer, that saves our earth from the harmful ultra-voilet radiation of the Sun.
The life on the Earth , depends on the energy provided by the Sun in the form of various radiations.
Out of total energy received by the Earth, 35% will be reflected back to the space by the clouds, dust-particles and ice particles present in the atmosphere.
14% of the energy , which comes in the form of ultra violet radiation gets absorbed by the ozone layer, thus saving the earth from the harmful effects like over warming of the Earth or diseases like cancer
34% of the energy is radiated back from the Earth in the form of direct solar radiation and 17% radiated back from the Earth in the form of terrestrial radiation.
The part of the energy radiated back from the Earth unabsorbed is called "Albedo". Average Albedo ranges between 29% to 34%. Because of the artificial cover provided by the green house gases the Earth surface is unable to reflect the total energy thus gets heated. So lesser the Albedo more will be the temperature on the Earth and viceversa.
Besides this the tarnishing of ozone layer provides the way to ultra violet rays to enter in the Earth's atmosphere which can cause great destruction , catastrophies (famines ,droughts etc.) and diseases like cancer.
The fact that the density of ozone layer reduced considerably making the situation more horrified. (from 1956 to 1970 the density of the ozone layer was nearly 280 to 325 doveson which in 1994 got reduced to mere 94 doveson. The density has been on a decline since then.)
The gases which are responsible for increasing the Earth temperature artificially are called "green house gases " which includes:- carbon di-oxide, methane, chloro floro carbon (CFC), sulphur herxa-floride, nitrous oxide, perflorocarbon. These gases are called green house gases because they increase the temperature in the glass house made artificially to provide higher temperature in colder areas which in turn helps plants that are native to warmer climates, to grow in the hilly areas.
The gases like CFC, or carbon di-oxide have been used in the modern appliances like air-conditioners, refrigerators, fire extinguishers etc. So its looks like where there is more industrialisation there is greater chance of causing harm to the ozone layer.
But the reality is unbelievable and horrifying. Unbelievable because the ozone hole was discovered in the polar regions where there is negligible industrialisation and horrifying because this reality can cause more destruction in less time. The reason behind this reality is the polar stratosphere clouds provide basis for chlorine molecules (present in the CFC) to act freely in the colder regions ( as in polar regions) and in the presence of sunlight in the Antarctica region the chlorine molecules attacks on the ozone molecules (O3) and kill them in the process. More damaging fact is this molecule could have a life of 45 years to 250 years. This is also causing the glaciers to melt.
The recent report of the Inter-governmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) states that Earth's temperature has increased by 0.74% in the past hundred years. Its effects are disastrous like:
Unexpected increase in the sea level that can submerge low lying regions including UK
The melting of glaciers like Himadri in India, which will first result in floods and then a long lasting drought
Exposure to ultra-violet rays can up the risk of cancers
Unexpected climatic changes
USA which pretends itself as a global leader, is also the biggest producer of these harmful green-house gases (nearly 30%) but hasn't signed the "Kyoto Protocal" - a legally binding global treaty for reducing the emission of these gases.
To efficiently deal with this current fearsome situation, we have to take stringent steps. Some are:
Save trees as they save life by inhaling harmful gas carbon-di-oxide.
more sustainable behaviour in our daily lives like saving energy at every step.
To use technologies which are environment-friendly, like bio-fertilizers.
The expansion of carbon trading by the developed countries from developing countries.
Globalize the technologies to the under developed nations that supports the climate.
Let us act now before it is too late.
Vasu Shena Misra (The author is a development activist who did his post-graduation from University of Lucknow. He is a fellow of CNS writers' bureau)
The Asom Gana Parishad demands early steps to seal the Indo- Bangladesh border to help the state check unabated illegal immigration from across the border.
Participating at a seminar in Delhi on Saturday, AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said that the Centre was responsible for failing to stop influx. He said that unless the Centre steps in to seal the border, the exodus of Bangladeshi immigrants would continue. The seminar was organised by the Delhi Chapter of All Assam Lawyers' Association.
Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has welcome the verdict of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup in regards to the sensational GS Road Molestation case, where the accused journalist has been acquitted. In a judgment, delivered on Friday, the CJM has convicted eleven out of fifteen accused. The EMFA expresses happiness that its unanimous decision in respect of Gaurav Jyoti Neog, the than reporter of News Live, was vindicated by the CJM court.It may be mentioned that the EMFA in a general meeting at Guwahati Press Club on July 16 had resolved that the visual related to July 9, 2012 GS molestation case was insufficient to convict Gaurav Jyoti. However the meeting reposed full faith on the...
The Kamrup judicial magistrate on Friday convicted Amarjyoti Kalita along with ten others in the infamous GS Road molestation case that rattled the nation in June
The court, however, acquitted journalist Gauravjyoti Neog and three others in the case where a groups of youths molested a girl on the streets in full view of the people.
An interesting study claimed to have found that climate change leads to natural disasters affect the livelihood options of people in the state. According to the study carried out by the Centre for Environment, Social and Policy Research in collaboration with the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change, the impact of the climate change is most pronounced among marginalised women, but it has also pushed people from prosperous families into taking up work of domestic assistance and daily wage labour. The study was conducted in the six flood-affected districts of Sonitpur, Baksa and Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat and Morigaon.
In yet another bizarre incident, an elephant is battling with death in Goalpara district of Assam during the last 35 hours. The trunk was chopped off and the tail is missing. According to the eyewitness, the trunk is bleeding after it fell prey to the poachers. A medical team has been attending on the animal.
Few years back our parents during their childhood times they use to enjoy their childhood period by playing different outdoor games and they enjoyed very much and loved it. As a child from this gadget oriented world, whatever we do it is only gadget that helps us to do it properly and efficiently without consuming any time. But this thing which is making us totally handicapped and paralyzed to do things with our hands. During this 21st century all children from this time are totally becoming materialistic people and they are not enjoying their childhood properly only because of gadgets, they have totally become gadget prone child. In other side gadgets are helping in all sectors from...
At least eight persons sustained injury when a powerful IED exploded blast in Udalgiri district on Tuesday. The explosion took place at a 'Raas-leela' pandal at around 8 in the evening. The four injured were rushed to a local hospital where condition of two is stated to be serious. The blast took place just few metres away from Udalgiri police station and the bus stand. No militant group has so far taken responsibility for the blast.
Assam Chief Minister takes the centre of a simmering controversy when he told at a rally in Nagaon that there was not a single Bangladeshi immigrants. But later he denied saying so clearing that the context was different. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday said that he never did say it and that he was talking only of the rally in Nagaon on Sunday.
AGP and BJP slammed Gogoi, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi of shielding the Bangladeshis for their vote bank politics. Moreover, the a foreign delegation said the matter of influx was never discussed at the diplomatic level.
Newspapers hawkers have called off the strike on Tuesday. The development came up after they struck fresh deal with the agents. For the last three days, news papers did not reach the homes of the city's readers for the third consecutive day on Sunday and Monday as hawkers continued their indefinite strike over a dispute with newspaper distributing agencies on payment.
The advertisement, issued in some local papers on November 29, had said hawkers were not making payments by claiming that customers were not paying their bills at the end of the month.
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