What is ozone? Why do we need it? Until recent history the general population did not know the answers to these questions. In our blindness we have steadily and consistently destroyed it, not on purpose but because of our own ignorance and need for a high quality of life. We are releasing harmful chemicals into our atmosphere. So what is this ozone really? Quite simply it is an invisible shield that surrounds the Earth protecting us from the ferocious uncontrolled sun. The sun is so powerful that it projects harmful rays all the way to the Earth. When they hit the ozone layer they cause a chemical reaction with a gas called ozone present in the stratosphere. The harmful solar ray splits the molecule, but is stopped. Eventually the ozone molecules will realign and be able to stop another harmful solar ray. The balance between solar radiation and demand on the ozone layer has been in equilibrium for billions of years on Earth. But unfortunately people have unknowingly released CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and halons into the ozone layer. These chemicals increase pressure on the ozone layer and destroy its molecules. The once balanced ozone layer now has an additional requirement and harmful solar rays are able to pass through. These chemicals can remain in the ozone layer for up to a hundred years, destroying the ozone layer. Probably the main reason we pollute our environment, and then turn a blind eye, is that it doesn't concern us. We don't care about what doesn't concern our life. And this was also true of the ozone layer, until very recently. The ozone layer is forming a hole, or is thinning. It is constantly growing and letting in more and more harmful UV rays. UV rays are very dangerous and are responsible for many deaths. Where it once seemed completely innocent to take the family to the beach and tan for hours, it is now unheard of. Excessive exposure to UV radiation has been linked to many fatal cases of skin cancer. The damage is not limited to ourselves, the destruction of the ozone layer has been linked to many other problems such as the destruction of agriculture, the impact on aquatic life such as the fishing and shrimp industry, forests and weakening of industrial materials such as plastic. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Now comes the good news. The destruction of the ozone layer is not permanent. If industries stop putting harmful chemicals in their products and we stop using them, the ozone layer will eventually repair itself. But it will take many years, another lesson people will learn before we stop destroying the only home we have. In recent years as very strict laws have been imposed on companies producing chemicals that are harmful to our ozone layer, people have been made much more aware of our individual role in depleting the ozone layer. We are slowly changing our ways. Let's hope we can change before it's too late. You might look at the pollution problems on our planet, particularly the ozone layer, and start to lose hope. The fact that there may be no solution to our problem is simply too great. Nobody can do anything to change. Fortunately for the rest of the world, those few skeptics have been sorely proven wrong. When the entire world reaches a global crisis as devastating as this one, we unite. People who weren't getting an education twenty years ago are now being educated, from kindergarten to retirement, about the harm they are causing. The situation seems very sad right now, but.