Outside Reading Blog Post #4

Tonight, I read an article about the depleting ozone layer. For those who don't know what this is, our planet's ozone layer is a protective atmospheric layer found at an altitude of 25 km that protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. It keeps us from developing skin cancer and severe cateracts. In addition to protecting humans, the ozone layer also protects marine life. Unfortunately, there is a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica and according to the European Space Agency, this whole is becoming larger. This is due to extreme cold temperatures at high altitudes and toxic chemicals such as bromine and chlorine. Some man-made products such as chlorofluorocarbons are no longer allowed to be produced as they contribute to this growing hole. It's imperative that society try to minimize the use of potential ozone layer depleting chemicals so that this hole does not continue to expand.

The entire article can be read here.

This article was written by CNN and was posted on cnn.com.