UN Warns Indonesia About Ozone: Jakarta, Indonesia

The United Nations Environmental Program urged the Indonesian government to tackle effectively the rampant illegal trade in CFCs as it was bound by the convention to do so.

United Nations Environmental Program data says that without the protocol, ozone depletion would have risen to about 10 times worse than current levels. Such a situation would cause more harmful Ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth posing a threat of more skin cancers,, eye cataracts, weakened immune systems, reduced plant yields, damage to ocean ecosystems and reduced fishing yields as well as contributing to global warming.

Harry Suryadi, an environmental journalist said most Indonesians believed ozone depletion and the resulting hazards including skin cancer and cataracts did not affect them. Indonesians tend to think that ozone layer depletion occurs only in the North Pole and so they feel that the ozone above their heads is safe.

There seems to be a widespread belief that being tropical people their skins are not susceptible to ultraviolet radiation unlike westerners. It is not true that equatorial countries are safe. It is just that the level of ozone depletion is lower than other non-equatorial countries.

Around the world ozone layer depletion has been a major issue since the 1980s when scientists found the ozone layer over the Arctic was being steadily depleted by emissions of man-made compounds particularly chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. The depletion which is occurring in the stratospheric level of the atmosphere where 90 percent of ozone exists means more harmful ultraviolet radiation is reaching the earth’s surface.

Ozone depletion globally needs addressing urgently before we don't have a decent environment to live in.