Take care of ozone layer

According to NASA data the ozone, our natural shield, is recovering. Not having this shield would cause third-degree burns, blindness, melanoma and other skin cancers so this is great news 👍

Ozone is a molecule formed by three oxygen atoms and protects us from ultraviolet radiation, the ozone layer is produced in the atmosphere between 20 / 30 km above the Earth's surface. Ultraviolet rays would affect us more directly if this layer were to diminish and this would terribly affect the integrity of our DNA.

In 70s, it was discovered that there was a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica and that ultraviolet radiation was more intense there than in other regions of the world. The discoverer was Mexican scientist Mario Molina who linked this phenomenon to a chemical called chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs.

CFCs are substances used as solvents for cleaning electronic equipment, refrigerators, air conditioning equipment and as propellants in aerosols, both industrial and domestic.

In 1995 Mario Molina shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Professor Sherwood Rowland for his work on the chemistry of the atmosphere, especially the formation and decomposition of ozone. They discovered that CFCs are carried into the atmosphere and once they are bombarded by the Sun's ultraviolet rays, they decompose and release chlorine, which is the really poisonous component responsible for the destruction of ozone molecules.

In 1987, the international community adopted the Montreal Protocol that bans the use of chemical materials that emit chlorine into the atmosphere and developed alternative molecules to CFCs. In this way the world agreed to solve an environmental problem, which shows that when the will is there and the technical means exist, we can solve any problem.