Atmospheric Issues Kristen Ault SCI/275 11-18-12 Brian Taylor

Ozone Depletion The atmospheric issues that we are facing are now becoming more of a major problem now more than ever. The biggest major issue I believe we are facing is ozone depletion and it is depleting at an alarming rate. We now have major holes where the ozone molecules have been ripped to shreds by chlorine and bromine. (National Geographic) The biggest ozone hole is over the Antarctic which has been getting bigger since the mid 80’s. The biggest contributor of producing these deadly chemicals, are the industrialists that use aerosol sprays that contain the chemical chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). The government has recently within the last 16 years started to face this on- going problem and banned CFC’s from being used. This reduced the percentage rate of the chemical chlorine but experts still say it will take another 50 years for that chemical to balance itself back out. Even so the damage has already been done and the ozone molecules will not heal which means our earth’s protective layer will never be rebuilt. All we can do now is do everything we can to save what protective layer we have left, by reducing the amounts of the chemicals used to kill our ozone layer dramatically. The problems that ozone depletion is causing, is deadly radiation which causes cataracts and skin cancer, which is on the rise as well. It not only hurting humans though, it is also Affecting animals and the food chain as well. For example the organism algae which is known as phytoplankton which is a major food source for marine life is disappearing due to the ozone depleting, and scientists have noticed a difference in the reproductive percentage among (fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimp and crabs).

Indoor Pollution Indoor pollution has been a major issue for a long time, but has only gained the populations attention recently within the last 10 years. Pollutants like aerosol sprays, mold, cleaners, ammonia, bleach, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and smoke. Smoke is becoming one of the major pollutants in households, whether it is cigarette smoke or smoke from your stove depending on the type you use. For instance smoky stoves that a lot of poor people use or old fashioned people use causes about 2 million deaths a year. Smoke being inhaled into the lungs causes someone to suffocate due to lack of oxygen that gets inside a person’s lungs. Not only can it kill a person but it also can cause devastating pollution in the atmosphere as well because smoke raises especially thick black smoke. There are things that are being done about these old smoky stoves though and they are being replaced by a stove that produces more heat, uses less fuel and are cleaner. The makeshift stoves being used today are easy to catch fire which also kills people. Women and children are out collecting cow dung and crop waste to use, which is more commonly used for fertilizer. The people who are making this difference happen are (The economist,2010) (Hillary Clinton, United Nations and World Health Organizations). They are making in the works a stove that has high technology that can be used in any conditions but only cost about 30 dollars or more. This will cut down on the indoor pollution along with the pollution that ends up in the atmosphere as well.

Current issues One major current issue we are facing right now with our atmosphere is the weather changes due to our ozone depletion. (Knight Matthew)Even though the ozone hole is located in the Antarctic it is having major effects in the tropic areas, and is creating more rain in the lower latitudes of the earth. Global warming which is also due to the ozone depletion is causing major weather changes. Just look at the major changes within the last few years, storms are becoming more frequent and devastating, and the temperature keeps rising causing less rainfall. Just recently New York suffered both a tornado and a hurricane in the city, something that has never happened before. And not just that either, but our seasons changed dramatically as well. It goes from summer to winter within a snap, and autumn is disappearing along with spring. Like last year winter did not even exist even within the northern states like Vermont and New York. It is amazing how things like the weather change dramatically due to something high above us. Indoor pollutants are causing more and more deaths each year, and the smoke factor is on the rise in percentage. More people are getting sick due to smoke in the house, because there is no clean air to breathe. Air that is polluted needs to be circulated out of the house so it cannot be considered harmful to anyone, yet millions of people smoke or cook with the doors and windows closed, leaving no clean oxygen in the dwelling. Lung cancer has increased due to this problem which causes more health problems to non-smokers than smokers themselves. This is why everyone is becoming a smoke free environment because it keeps people from getting sick or worse dies from the inhaled smoke.

Conclusion The indoor pollutants we use, along with the pollutant that are dumped into the atmosphere, are causing alarming rates of destruction. Deadly chemicals used by plants are causing our ozone layer to deplete itself with no way of repairing itself. This causes major weather changes along with our earth becoming more heated each given year. Indoor pollutants are killing people due to the lack of air quality within the home or allergic reactions to cleaners or sprays.

References

(Ozone depletion Oct 23 ,2009) Retrieved by National geographic http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/ozone-depletion-overview/ (Indoor pollution “silent but deadly” April 23, 2010) retrieved by The economist http://www.economist.com/node/17093623 (Knight Matthew, April 22, 2010) Retrieved from CNN world Antarctic ozone hole affecting tropic weather
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-22/world/antarctic.ozone.climate.rainfall_1_ozone-hole-antarctic-ozone-ozone-layer?_s=PM:WORLD