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A couple of miles up, 12mm thick, a layer of ozone forms the earth's protective suit. Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen atoms and has the symbol O3. Holes develop in the ozone layer when O3 moves down to ground level. This is caused when the sun heats up carbon dioxide (CO2) in the earth's atmosphere. The earth is basically overheating, and this is called the Greenhouse Effect.

CO2 exists naturally in the earth's atmosphere, but a lot of it is being put there in a big way. The Energy Emissions Data and Environmental Analysis of Energy Data at www.eia.doe.gov/environment.ht ml shows US emissions sector by sector: greenhouse gas (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide), power plants and other generators. The US put out 5945 million metric tons of CO2 in 2005. The projected output for 2030 is 7950.

A World Wildlife Fund article from March 04 at www.panda.org/news_facts/newsr oom/news/index.cfm?uNewsID=121 08
says "According to a report in New Scientist, new data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere in 2003 reached an all time high of 376 parts per million (ppm). Mainly released through the burning of fossil fuels, CO2 is a major cause of global warming and climate change."

The New Scientist article is at www.newscientist.com/article.n s?id=dn4802.

Mends to the ozone layer would be undone by increased CO2. They would just be a band aid. Cutting CO2 is a way to start a healing process, and the healing has to start with the CO2 generators.

Learn more about this author, Ian Smith.
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