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)
A fake financial institute has once again duped lakhs of customers during the last two year. The institution in question is Jivan Surakhya Group. Proprietor Chandan Das, who has recently sold out a satellite TV news channel is absconding. That too a week ahead of the date of payments to its agents and customers.Hundreds of customers vandalized its Hatigaon based office on Wednesday a day after another section of customers did it in Sonari at Sivasagar. Police have already registered a case against Das who is remaining untraced.
Rows and rows of earthen lamps and worship of tulsi plants marked the kati Bihu with traditional religious fervor across the state on Wednesday. In the rural areas people planted tusli plants seeking divine help to keep their paddy fields fine. Paddy fields were also kept shining with earthen lamps in the evening.Notably, the Kati Bihu fervor failed to reach Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli along with other flood ravaged areas on Wednesday.
Police arrested two infamous dacoits in connection with a robbery case at Kamrup Rural district on Wednesday afternoon.Police picked up the duo - Babu Ali and Dildar Ali - from a dhaba at Kalajal in Baihata police station when they had gone there to have a meal.
It’s a narrow escape from a powerful explosion in Barpeta Road. Police recovered a powerful bomb from a train track in Barpeta Road railway station on Wednesday.Weighing 800 gm, the explosive was planted with electrical wires, was hidden under boulders of track number one on platform two.After noticing it, a local resident informed the police who later defused the bomb at around 9.30 in the morning. But by then a train left the spot.Police cordoned off the area and took away the bomb to be safely defused later. A letterhead of a little known insurgent outfit 'Bengali Sangram Mukti Bahini' was found near the bomb.
Pride of Assam Mirdu Paswan Joon strikes a silver medal at the Indo-Sri Lanka Karate Championship 2012, held in Colombo.The Karate player received the second position in the Senior Male Black Belt Kumite event organised by the World Sunakoshi Sutukan Karate Organisation, Sri Lanka.
Dima Hasao hill district is all set to get chopper service and a wildlife sanctuary. The proposal is in its initial stage. Authorities call it a major boost on the district’s tourism front. It would further help the hills district improve surface connectivity. Sources told assamtimes that the recent agreement between DHD and Centre has no dearth of provisions to set up these.
In what could be termed as a mega cultural event, internationally acclaimed Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will be performing in the city for the first time. The Sarod maestro will be accompanied by his two sons – Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, who have both nurtured out to be prodigies in themselves.This was informed by North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) Director Som Kamei in a crowded press conference in their cultural amphitheatre Shilpgram here today. Assam Governnor JB Patnaik will be the Chief Guest and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will be the Guest of Honour in the event. NEZCC Chairman Nikhil Kumar, who is also the Governor of Nagaland, will be the Chief Host of the...
Good news for government employees. Dispur has raised the Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief for its employees and pensioners from 65 to 72 per cent. The revision is effective from July 1.Following the increase, the DA will be at par with Central Government employees. The arrear will be paid in cash and an additional expenditure of Rs 400 crore will be incurred by the Government during the current financial year.
Atleast three children were feared to have met watery grave after two boats collided in the river Brahmaputra in Barpeta district on Tuesday.The incident took place on Monday midnight when a country-made boat collided with another boat in the Brahmaputra river at the remote Pub Aandabhanga-Saldiyapara area of Chenga. Over 50 passengers travelling in the two boats were rescued or were able to swim ashore, three kids are missing. They were identified as Sanidul Hoque, Kamal Badshah, Phulbahatan Nesa.
A 18 member gang of poachers who have been behind the killing of least ten rhinos in Kaziranga National Park over the past three years have been arrested.The gang leader Lyngdoh Rongpi was arrested from Jamelangshu hills on Monday night and based on his interrogation his accomplices were netted at a village in Bokolia.According to information, two forest employees were also held on suspicion of killing the one-horned pachyderm.An AK-47 rifle, 37 rounds of ammunition, two 303 rifles and one gun were seized from them.
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