K I D S   P A G E

Home Page

Printable version Printable version

Animated Hippo Animated Squid Animated Bison Animated Frog

Information For Action www.informaction.org

O Z O N E   L A Y E R

What is ozone?

It is a colourless gas made up of oxygen that is found in the air.


What is the ozone layer?

It is an area that is about 10 ?30 miles above the earth where a lot of ozone gas can be found.


What does the ozone layer do?

It protects living things on earth, such as humans and animals, from being hurt by ultra-violet rays.


Has this layer been damaged?

Yes. There is a big hole in this layer. The hole goes over:


Should we care that there is a hole in the ozone layer?

Yes. Because the hole in the ozone layer lets in UV rays to the earth, this can cause us and the environment serious harm.


How can UV rays harm us and the environment?

They may cause:


How has the hole in the ozone layer been damaged so much?

From the 1940's to the 1990's, humans used a chemical called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFC’s. CFC’s were used in:


What has been done to deal with this?

A lot, actually!


This was a great step towards stopping the damage to our ozone layer. But, because humans had been using CFC’s for about fifty years, it will take a long time for the hole in the ozone layer to start healing.


What can you do to help?

When you learn about a way that humans are hurting the environment:


Remember?/p>

When people get together and share their concerns about the environment, the government will listen. Together, we can make a difference!