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What is the ozone layer and why will it affect global temperature? The Ozone Layer is a thin (one-eighth inch thick) shield that protects the world from excessive UV rays (ultra-violet radiation) from the sun. The Earth would be uninhabitable without it. Human consumption of energy, burning of the rainforests, dying plankton in the polluted oceans, and other human activities are resulting in increased CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels in the atmosphere. Increased CO2 levels contribute to rising temperatures - the Greenhouse Effect. Even a small increase in temperatures will dramatically effect ecological systems. As these plants and animals attempt to migrate to hospitable temperatures, they are faced with the challenge of pavement, pollution, cities, DNA damage from UV rays, and increasing human populations. The current depletion of the ozone layer is around 2% annually. Every year, the hole over Antactica stays longer.
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