The hole in the ozone panic theory
@greenfeathers (1206)
United States
October 18, 2009 10:28am CST
I realize I'm gonna sound really stupid to a lot of concerned folks, but don't worry. I've gotten used to it..
I've been hearing tell of this 'hole in the ozone' theory for a lot of years now and in my own uneducated way I'm gonna explain why I think its a scare tactic..
First..take a balloon. Any color you want. Pigmentation is not the issue here.
Second..blow up the balloon. (If you're more creative you can blow up a few and fill some with your exhale, smoke, helium etc)
Third..pick up your balloon (If you were creative then pick up the one of your choice)
Fourth..secure a pin
Fifth..poke a hole in the balloon (Slow leak hole. Popping will not be tolerated)
Sixth..observe the results
If your balloon follows the average laws of physics then it is slowly leaking its contents out. This will hold true regardless of what you filled it with.
Seventh..Pause for a 'hmmm' as you witness this.
If ya haven't figued it out by now the balloon represents the atmosphere. The pinhole represents the 'ozone hole'.
Eighth..Listen to the dumb questions and respond as you will.
If this hole were truly there why, then, are we so concerned with the pollution 'bottling' up in our atmosphere? As it is higher in this atmosphere won't it simply leech out the hole?
Why is our breathable atmosphere not following suit and, as well, leeching out the hole?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@ra1787 (501)
• Italy
19 Oct 09
Atmosphere is kept around earth by gravity, the gas that compose it have a mass and so are subject to the force of gravity, this force is balanced by the pressure gradient of air with altitude.
The ozone hole is instead the lack of a certain kind of gas in the upper atmosphere, it is not a real hole, it is just the decreased concentration of this chemical compound in the stratosphere. Ozone is fundamental because it absorbs dangerous ultraviolet rays that would otherwise penetrate the atmosphere and reach the surface, causing serious problems to living beings. Ozone gets depleted when it interacts with some human-made chemical compounds (such as CFC that was used in old refrigerators and as propellent in sprays). By the way Ozone depletion is not a theory but a proven fact. Cfc use has been worlwide banned in most uses so there is hope that the situation will improve in the long term.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
19 Oct 09
Hi, greenfeathers!
I read about a year ago that efforts to benefit the planet have resulted in a shrinking of the hole in the ozone. Maybe we won't have to lose anything at all, one day!
@Xygatrix (103)
• United States
19 Oct 09
I see your logic, and it is very reasonable, but the atmosphere isn't kept around the Earth by the ozone layer. The Earth's atmosphere is held in place because of gravity that Earth's mass exerts on particles in the air. Some (very) light particles, such as hydrogen, CAN and DO float out of the Earth's atmosphere, but they are replenished by chemical activity on the Earth's surface.
