The Greenhouse Effect and Ozone Depletion

In todays world, almost everything that we use can contribute to increasing

the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Human activities have enhanced
the greenhouse effect. With the amount of greenhouse gases increasing, there is a
greater chance that the amount of CFCs will increase as well. These have a major
effect on the depletion of the ozone layer, and both the greenhouse effect and ozone
depletion lead to an increase in global warming.
The greenhouse effect consists of water vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide,
methane, halocarbons, and nitrous oxide. These gases are all a natural part of the
carbon cycle. They are responsible for absorbing infrared radiation and reflecting
the heat back to Space. The heat that they capture keeps the Earth warm, which
allows organisms on Earth to survive.
People spend most of their lives using products that contain greenhouse
gases. For example, people drive cars that release carbon dioxide into the air.
Furthermore, many factories burn coal, oil, or even natural gas, which releases even
more carbon dioxide into the environment and enhances the concentration of
greenhouse gases. As the population continues to expand rapidly, the use of
products and activities containing greenhouse gases has doubled. As the population
grows, people will need more food and farms will have to grow more rice. The
process of growing rice releases methane, thus the more rice we grow the more
methane gets released into the atmosphere. With greenhouse gases increasing, our
planet will face higher and higher temperatures and more ozone depletion. The
gases in the atmosphere will crump together, preventing heat from leaving Earth
into Space. Therefore, they reflect back to Earth and the planet absorbs the heat. If
the Earth absorbs more heat than it is supposed to, everyday temperatures will
continue to increase as well as climate change.
The ozone layer is situated in the stratosphere. It consists of three oxygen
atoms. When UV light hits the stratosphere, oxygen molecules separate themselves
into atomic oxygen, which then combines with other molecules present there. This
process makes ozone; there is a high concentration of ozone in the stratosphere.
Ozone helps us prevent UV radiation from the Sun that can cause certain diseases.
For example, if the UV light passes through an atmosphere without an ozone layer,
people will have a higher risk of getting skin cancer or eye damage. Furthermore, it
also leads directly to global warming. Without the ozone layer, UV radiation will
increase on the Earths surface and harm most of our planets living things.
Therefore, we need the ozone layer to absorb UV radiation.
Nowadays, the reduction of the ozone layer is continuing that the Earth will
soon face complete ozone depletion. This occurs because of a higher amount of
chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. This gas is the main cause of ozone depletion because
it contains chlorine. Chlorine will combine with oxygen to create chlorine monoxide,
which can add or split the molecule in the atmosphere. This process makes new a
chlorine atom and a new oxygen molecule, and the resulting chlorine atom can
break a much larger hole in the ozone layer. With more and more greenhouse gases
being released into the air, the rate of CFCs is higher. This means that there is a
greater chance for ozone depletion., and UV radiation will have a much easier time
passing through the hole in the atmosphere. Therefore, all living things and
ecosystems will be affected by global warming.
The greenhouse effect and ozone depletion directly affect biodiversity, these
being animals, plants, and even ecosystems. Since the greenhouse effect is increased
by human activities, the concentration of greenhouse gases release into the air will
continue to increase. Heat from the Sun will be absorbed back into the Earth, and
global warming will continue to worsen each and every year. This issue will have
differing effects on different ecosystems. Some animals will no longer have a place
to live, or they will be unable to find food easily. For example, the polar bear will
experience a loss of habitat when the sea ice where they live and find food melts.
They will have to look for other food sources as the sea ice retreats due to increase
surface temperatures. Retreating sea ice will also affect other members of the polar
ecosystem such as the seal, which may die out and further lower polar bear
populations.
The greenhouse effect is not the only thing that harms biodiversity; ozone
depletion has a negative effect as well. The UV light that passes through the hole in
the ozone layer can harm living things. Some organic matter cannot exist on Earth;
for example, plants and plankton cannot live on Earth if there is a large amount of
UV radiation present. Both of these often act as food sources for sea animals, and
when they die the animals will die from starvation. Humans are also affected by UV
radiation (composed of UV-A and UV-B), and there are many negative things that it
can do to human beings. For example, UV radiation causes skin cancer and plays a
major role in many other diseases. People can also suffer permanent eye damage,
since 99% of UV rays pass through the eye. Simply put, the greenhouse effect and
ozone depletion combine together to hurt biodiversity.
In conclusion, human activities are the major contributor to the greenhouse
effect. This effect leads to enhanced amounts of greenhouse gases, directly affecting
biodiversity on Earth. In addition, CFCs in the atmosphere result in the depletion of
the ozone layer due to risky human activities. They combine via a chemical reaction
to widen the ozone hole so more UV radiation can pass through to the Earths
surface. It is clear that if no action is taken, people will no longer be able to live on
our planet and neither will animals.













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