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Background
The ozone layer fits snugly round the Earth, like a protective blanket. It lies between 15 and 30 kilometres above the Earth’s surface and filters hazardous UV-B rays from the sun’s radiation. Unfortunately, industrially produced substances which deplete the ozone layer have destabilised this system in recent times. More UV-B radiation is now reaching the Earth’s surface. On land, these rays damage the genetic make-up of people, plants and animals. In the oceans, UV radiation damages plankton, the first link in the food chain. Another outcome is the huge impact of genetic damage on both agriculture and commercial fisheries. The number of people suffering from skin cancer and eye diseases worldwide has also risen. If the Montreal Protocol had not been agreed, an estimated 20 million more cases of skin cancer and 130 million cases of cataracts would have occurred by 2050. The reason behind the worldwide depletion of our vital ozone layer is the overall increase in the consumption of ozone-depleting substances in recent decades. These include
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