Human concerns and ethical considerations

Human Concern

Global Warming: A Problem of Chemistry

Whether it's in a speech from the White House or Capital Hill or in a news ticker at the bottom of CNN's screen, the topic of global warming is being discussed nearly everywhere. It is a political problem, with pundits on both sides arguing in favor or against policy. But before global warming was a political problem, it was a problem of chemistry.

Ozone (O3) is a compound formed of oxygen atoms that is located, primarily, in the stratosphere above the earth ("The Ozone Layer" para.1, "Chemical of the Week" par. 1), which plays an important role in both regulating the temperature of the earth and the ultra violent light that the earth is exposed to. Constantly created and destroyed through chemical reactions in the stratosphere, the ozone layer often changes sizes; it can also be greatly affected by seasons, solar energy, etc.

But although the Ozone layer is constantly building and rebuilding due to these natural chemical reactions, Ozone's interaction with other elements and compounds can be dangerous. When a "thinning of the ozone layer" was discovered in Antarctica, scientists believed chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were to blame, as the ultraviolet light in the stratosphere was capable of breaking them down into chlorine, which had a negative reaction with the ozone ("The Ozone Layer" para. 3).