The Barn by Ralph Hagen for February 25, 2021

“They don’t know Diddly!”

Uh, EPA says: " Continued declines in ODS emissions are expected to result in a near complete recovery of the ozone layer near the middle of the 21st century. The long time scale for this recovery is due to the slow rate at which ODS are removed from the atmosphere by natural processes "

Now we have more important fish to fry in response to weather-related events.

The Arctic ozone layer hole is no longer existent. The hole, which covered an area three times the size of Greenland, appeared in late March 2020 and by the end of April it was gone.

Where’s the X zone? Save the CALZONE!!!!!

Something for those concerned about the climate to consider: http://www.petitionproject.org/

Just fact checked myself: the hole in the ozone over the Arctic, closed in 2020. I guess the ozone took the COVID threat seriously.

I miss the old slogans like Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute. Good general advice that covers a bunch of issues. But if we can’t stop basic litter and people don’t pick up after their dogs is there any hope of tackling the really bigger messes?

They DID fix it. The Ozone layer is a perfect example of how things can be done right. We discovered a problem (hole in Ozone). We identified the cause (primarily CFCs and related halocarbons). We implemented a solution (ban CFCs). Our solution is working (the hole is shrinking, and has been since 2000)

What about saving the " Gizzard of OZTWO"?

Someone finally figure out that ozone is generated by ultraviolet light from the sun, and that not only does it virtually disappear overnight, but is very tenuous at the poles AT BEST – and guess what happens during those 6 months of polar night . . . ?

Natural Ozone Production from UV Light

Ozone is produced naturally by UV light created from sunlight. This is a natural and important part of our word. Most all of the UV light produced from the sun in the range from 100 – 315 nm is filtered by the ozone layer in the atmosphere.

UV light wavelengths shorter than 240 nm will create ozone via photolysis of the oxygen molecule.UV light wavelengths between 240-280 nm will destroy ozone via photolysis of the ozone molecule.UV light wavelengths between 280-315 nm are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer itself.UV light wavelengths between 31-380 nm are not generally affected by the oxygen or ozone cycle and most of these make it to the surface of the earth.

UV light will create ozone from atmospheric oxygen at short wavelengths of less than 240 nanometers (nm). UV light will also destroy ozone and break ozone back down into atomic oxygen (O) and diatomic oxygen (O2) at wavelengths from about 200 nm to 315 nm. Therefore, the ozone layer does a great job filtering UV wavelengths from about 100 – 315 nm. This is important as these are the harmful wavelengths of UV light that cause sunburn, and DNA damage in living tissues.

That’s a fine sign, Rory. It won’t hurt anyone to wave that around.