The Invisible Saviors
“What happened to my pretty princess? Why are you gloomy today?” asked Dadaji surprisingly. Without uttering a word, little Pihu kept her school bag inside her room and sat silently nearby the window looking at the hills and dales. Dadaji sat near to Pihu and said – “I will be sad if I can not see your cute dimple on your cheek. So, smile please…”
“No, I am annoyed and angry” said little Pihu. Dadaji lifted little Pihu and made her sit on his shoulder. “You enjoy a camel ride now” said Dadaji with a smile and started walking to the grassland nearby the house. Pihu started smiling slowly. Dadaji walked funny by shaking his head. Later, they sat on a black rock in the grassland.
With refreshed mood, little Pihu said – “Dadaji, Headmaster asked me to speak about Ozone Layer tomorrow in the assembly but I have no idea about it. Already I have enough to study and where is the time for all these unnecessary topics!”
Dadaji, with a smile, pointed his finger to the sky and asked Pihu – “What all do you see there?” Pihu casually looked above and said – “Clouds… sky… some birds… sun…”
“Anything else?” asked Dadaji. Pihu stared at the sky for some more time and said – “Hmm… nothing else. After sunset, moon and stars will be visible”.
“Yes, you are right” Dadaji appreciated little Pihu and continued – “There are plenty of invisible things in the sky. We are supposed to know about such matters that possess huge value in our life”. Pihu could not understand much.
Sun hid behind the clouds. A few sparrows quarreled and flew around. Peacocks stared at Pihu. Dadaji lay on the dry grasses and said –
“Nature is a great phenomenon. Life in earth is dependent on many factors. Today, knowingly or unknowingly, we are destroying our environment. We are supposed to take care of our land, sky, water, air and many such factors but unfortunately we are destroying the Nature. Ultimately, we are the sufferers”. Dadaji remained silent for a while.
Pihu curiously asked – “Dadaji, how are we destroying the sky? Why should we worry about those invisible things which are far away from us?”
Dadaji felt happy on Pihu’s curiosity. He wiped his spectacles and said – “They are Invisible Saviors. You might have heard about skin cancer, sunburn, cataracts and such diseases. These are the result of our negligence and disregard to the sky or the Nature or the environment”.
“What is the connection between sky and diseases?” little Pihu exclaimed. Dadaji, looking at the sky, continued – “The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. It contains high concentrations of ozone in relation to other parts of the atmosphere. The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, from approximately 20 to 30 kms above earth. The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson. The ozone layer prevents most harmful wavelengths of ultraviolet light from passing through the earth’s atmosphere. These wavelengths cause skin cancer, sunburn and cataracts”.
Pihu’s face bloomed with surprise. She looked at the sky as if she was watching it for the first time. After a few minutes’ thoughts, she said – “So, ozone layer is important. Dadaji continued – “In 1976 atmospheric research revealed that the ozone layer was being depleted by chemicals released by industries, mainly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These compounds are transported into the stratosphere by the wind after being emitted at the surface. Once in the stratosphere, they release halogen atoms through photo dissociation which catalyze the breakdown of ozone into oxygen. Ozone depletion threatened life on earth”.
Pihu wondered. She could, by now, understand the importance of the ozone layer and the danger behind its depletion.
“Now, I will tell you about the Montreal Protocol” said Dadaji. Little Pihu moved closer to her Dadaji and eagerly sat.
“Ozone depletion generated worldwide concern over increased cancer risks and other negative effects. These concerns led to the adoption of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 which bans the production of CFCs, halons and other ozone depleting chemicals. The ban came into effect in 1989. Ozone levels stabilized by the mid 1990s and began to recover in the 2000s. Recovery is projected to continue over the next century. The Montreal Protocol is considered the most successful international environmental agreement. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16th September as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer or ‘World Ozone Day’ to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on that date in 1987”.
Dadaji stopped his speech and looked at little Pihu. Pihu’s mouth was kept open while hearing Dadaji. Unable to control his laugh, Dadaji shut her mouth and said – “Don’t let ultraviolet rays go into your mouth”. Pihu laughed a lot, pinched Dadaji’s hand and said – “So, we must protect our environment to save life in earth. We must not harm our animals and plants. We must do awareness programmes on various environmental topics and Invisible Saviors”.
Dadaji appreciated Pihu for her quick understanding and asked – “So, are you ready for the speech about Ozone Layer?”
“Yes, Dadaji” said little Pihu. “I will write down all the information that you gave me today about ozone layer, depletion and Montreal Protocol. I will confidently speak about the importance of Ozone Layer as well as World Ozone Day Celebrations”.
“Very good, my dear” happily Dadaji hugged little Pihu and kissed on her dimple cheek. By then, sun had set and darkness was falling around gradually. Birds had already left for their roost. Pihu held Dadaji’s hand while returning home. Pihu eagerly looked at the sky and smiled. Stars shimmered while the moon smiled shiningly.
After dinner, Pihu prepared her speech confidently. Moon and stars smiled and winked at pretty Pihu. A nightingale sang melodiously from the dales. Pihu slowly closed her eyes.
In her sleep, Pihu whispered – “The Invisible Saviors!!!”
– MURALY TV
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