What is it?

The ozone layer is, unsurprisingly, a layer of ozone. Ozone is a form of oxygen, and its presence in the stratosphere (one of the layers of Earth’s atmosphere) is crucial to the well-being of our planet. Ozone can be found at ground-level but then it’s harmful and also contributes towards global warming.

There is a hole currently above Antarctica but the ozone layer has thinned across the world.

Why do we need it?

The ozone layer protects us from UV radiation. It’s the world’s sunblock, and without it, we’d all be at higher risk from the potentially nasty effects of UV radiation, such as skin cancer. The thinning ozone layer means that we have to be extra careful when it comes to being out in the sun and use sunblock to protect our skin.

Why is there a problem with it?

The ozone layer is getting thin and patchy because of chemicals we’ve used on Earth that can break down ozone molecules. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) were one of the worst culprits for this, but they are now banned in most countries. CFCs can survive in the atmosphere for up to 100 years, so it will be a while before we see the effects of the ban actually make a difference to the ozone layer. HCFCs also damage the ozone layer and contribute towards global warming, they are to be completely phased out in developed countries such as Scotland by 2020.