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Can we repair our atmosphere?
The other day I was walking through a local department store and I saw an aisle-full of air filters, purifiers, ionizers, and the like. It's great. We can clean the air in our homes, offices, cubicles, bars and restaurants. Even better if the purifier comes with a hepa filter to remove finer particles of dust, pollen, mould and bacteria. One brand boasted a "New Ozone Shield!"
Ozone Shield? Can this model actually help prevent damage to the protective ozone layer that exists in our atmosphere? No, depending on the manufacturer it either uses ozone to purify the air that passes through its filtration system, or removes ozone from the air. Neither of which is actually true. Well, not 100%. Removing ozone from the air is not such a simple, speedy task, and filtering with ozone doesn't really remove all that is claimed.
But "Ozone Shield" sounds so amazing, I'm sure the manufacturer knows that most consumers will get the impression that this filter will help protect our atmosphere. Maybe it would, if we had about 50 billion or more of them running at once, suspended high in the sky to suck in and remove the pollutants we're belching into the air with our factories and cars.
Now I'm not what you would consider an "activist." In fact I hate the term. How about "concerned citizen?" I don't think you have to be an activist to be concerned for your environment and the future of our planet. Unfortunately many "activists" tend to view non-activists the same way some Christians view non-Christians, as people who need to be "saved." Sorry to bring religion into this, it really has nothing to do with that at all.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Ozone (O3) is a naturally ocurring greenhouse gas. It is found mostly in the central to lower stratosphere (though it is present throughout the stratosphere and also found at much lower levels in the troposhpere).
Other natural greenhouse gasses include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Human contribution to the greenhouse effect is mainly carbon dioxide (CO2). Which is a byproduct of the burning of refined fossil fuels to produce engergy, run cars, machinery, etc. Though we can't forget CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons used as aerosol propellants) which directly impact the ozone layer. Luckily CFCs are being phased out and replaced by compounds that are less harmful, or completely safe, for the ozone layer.
I looked down that row of procucts, stacked sky high, and chuckled, envisioning the factories that produce hundreds of thousands, even millions of air purifiers bought up by consumers each year. Factories that create far more pollution than their purifying products could ever hope eliminate. Not that that was their intended use, it certainly was not. It's just a funny, or not, bit of irony.
Recently scientists reported that global warming is a reality. Our earth is warming up, and humans have a definite impact on it. Unfortunately, as they say, the damage is done. Though change is possible, it is expected that the result of our impact on the atmosphere would take in the area of 50 years to subside, even as we begin to develop, use and convert to alternative, and more environmentally friendly sources of energy. Something that may take at least another 50 years in itself to fully realize.
We have to start somewhere. But while that air purifier may help to minimize the effects of some local pollutants and allergens in your household or office, including a flatulent dog or co-worker, we need to think bigger if we want to make positive changes that will impact our world. Even if we won't see the full result in our lifetime. My neice and nephew will, how about yours? Your grandchildren? Or you. Maybe you'll still be around then. Wouldn't it be cool to live in a cleaner world?
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