As International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer begins, Emirates Today learns many people in Dubai are in the dark about a gas that is vital to life on Earth.
The world is today focusing on the threat posed by the hole in the ozone layer but a survey in Dubai has revealed an alarming gap in people's knowledge of the issue.
The layer of ozone gas in the upper atmosphere absorbs up to 99 per cent of the sun's high-frequency ultraviolet light rays that would otherwise endanger life.
The amount of the gas has been depleted by substances used in air-conditioners, refrigerators and aerosols, and a hole in the layer was discovered over Antarctica in 1985.
But most of the people questioned by Emirates Today admitted they knew nothing about the problem. Some mistakenly thought ozone depletion was caused by the burning of plastics and one person said the layer had been affected because the sun was moving closer to the Earth.
The UAE government, in a statement to mark International Day for the Prese rvation of the Ozone Layer, reiterated its support for international treaties to protect the environment.
"Ecological change is a real problem posing a threat to life on the planet," said Dr Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi, Minister of Environment and Water. "The UAE is dedicated to the protection of the environment." Today marks the 20th anniversary of the date when the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer was signed. Al Kindi called on all countries to strengthen their commitment to the treaty for the benefit of the planet.
Emirates Today asked a wide range of residents of different nationalities and backgrounds: "What is ozone?" Many were not even aware of the gas's existence and most knew very little about the harmful effects of its depletion.
"I know as much as the next person, which is probably next to nothing," said 30 year old Briton Paul Daniel, who works as a project manager in the hospitality industry. "I don't know a lot I believe in getting on with my life." Most of the people with some knowledge of the problem were not aware of its causes and the action required to solve it.
Some people believed greenhouse gas emissions were responsible for the thinning of the ozone layer, when this type of pollution causes a separate environmental hazard, global warming.
Help desk officer Ricardo Malang, 27, from the Philippines, said: "It is happening because of car pollution and people burning garbage." His colleague, Dennis Pamintuan, 33, also from the Philippines, said: "It is because people burn plastics." Herbert Smith, 40, an investment banker from South Africa, was the only person who we questioned who knew the causes of ozone depletion.
Those wishing to match his knowledge can attend an awareness event being held from 9pm to midnight today at Ibn Battuta Mall by the environment, health and safety arm of Dubai World.
By Vesela Todorova
© Emirates Today 2007
