It's Good. It's Bad. It's Ozone

The ozone and climate change are connected to one another here on Earth.

                             There are two different types of ozone, the good ozone and the bad ozone.

            The good ozone, located in the stratosphere, creates a sort of shield that protects us from the harmful UV rays that enter Earth’s atmosphere.  The UV radiation, instead of penetrating down to Earth, is converted into heat through a molecular reaction of ozone being split apart, but is continually re-joined with other oxygen molecules, thus forming an ‘ozone-oxygen cycle’.  Human-made compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are added to the atmosphere cause an even greater breakup of ozone and allow more UV radiation to get down to earth (The Good, the Bad and the Ozone, 2013). 

            Bad ozone can be found in the troposphere, which is where life on Earth is found.  Ozone in the stratosphere can cause lung damage to humans.  One of the biggest contributors to harmful emissions in our breathing air is car exhaust (The Good, the Bad and the Ozone, 2013).  Bad ozone can also damage crops and other vegetation that cycle carbon dioxide in our air (EPA).

            Back in 1974 it was discovered that CFCs were in the stratosphere destroying ozone molecules.  A thinning of the ozone layer above Antarctica caused an urgency to stop production of CFCs and led to the creation of the Montreal Protocol, phasing out CFC use and stopping the hole from becoming larger (Doniger, 2012).  Solomon and Chanin (2011) talk about how CFCs along with other greenhouse gases deplete ozone, but also contribute to climate change.  With more ultraviolet light able to reach Earth’s surface there can be damage to plants and animals DNA.  Overall, with the ozone thinning and more heat energy becoming trapped in the atmosphere of the Earth an overall warming affect is likely to happen (Solomon, 2011).

Doniger, David. "The world's governments saved the ozone layer. They can save the climate too. | David Doniger - China Dialogue ." China Dialogue - China and the world discuss the Environment . N.p., 11 June 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. <http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5295-The-world-s-governments-saved-the-ozone-layer-They-can-save-the-climate-too->.

EPA. "Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby | Air Quality Planning & Standards | Air & Radiation | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/gooduphigh/>.

Solomon, Susan and Chanin, Marie-Lise. 2011. The Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Unique Example of the Science and Policy Interface. Science Diplomacy. 189-195.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ozone”. Handout. 2013. <http://earthsobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Ozone/Ozone.php>. and <http:http://www.nasa.gov/missions/earth/f-ozone.html>.