By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, Oct. 16, GNA – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have taken Senior High school students in Koforidua through climate change, and Ozone depletion challenges as part of activities to mark this year’s World Ozone Day.
The day is commemorated annually on September 16. The theme for the 2024 celebration was: “Montreal protocol: Advancing climate action” with Ghana Senior High school (GHANASS) participating.
Addressing participants, Mr. Joseph Baffoe, Acting Director of the Climate Change and Ozone Department at the Environmental Protection Agency, said the World Ozone Day was commemorated to raise awareness and educate the public on the phasing out of Ozone – depleting substances.
He said the Ozone layer is a term for high concentration of Ozone that is found in stratosphere around 15 – 30 kilometers above the earth’s surface.
It covers the entire planet and protects life on earth by absorbing harmful Ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
He said the Ozone layer, when depleted, could lead to more cases of skin cancer, eye cataracts, and impaired immune system.
Several man-made chemicals collectively called Ozone depleting substances are responsible for the depletion of the 0zone layer.
The substances include chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons.
He said such substances were mostly used in the manufacturing of refrigerators, home, and vehicle air-conditioners.
” The side effect of the substances are that when a refrigerator repairer is not careful and pierces any of the tube at the back of the refrigerator, the gas is what escapes into the atmosphere and destroys the Ozone layer,” he said.
He stressed the need to give proper training to technicians and the use of environmentally friendly chemicals.
Mr. Isaac Kwabena Danso, Assistant Programmes Officer of the Climate Change Unit at the Environmental Protection Agency said the link between the Ozone layer depletion and the climate change was the replacement of the greenhouse gases which do not deplete the Ozone layer.
However, greenhouse gases have the potential to absorb energy from the sun to cause global warming that leads to climate change.
He said, “we should come up with a new option that will be good for the Ozone layer and at the same time good for the climate and the option include hydrocarbon.”
GNA