Sea levels could rise, flooding coastal regions. Productive farming areas could turn to desert as weather patterns deliver less rain. These Photo Essays portray this potential ecological disaster. These Photo Essays take a look at atmospheric ozone, a gas that prevents the sun's ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth's surface. In the upper atmosphere, the CFCs' chemical bonds are broken by ultraviolet rays.
Chlorine bonding with oxygen destroys the ozone molecules.
With less ozone, more ultraviolet radiation can harm plants, animals and humans. Existing landfills are reaching their capacities and sometimes have leaks that can endanger water supplies. The U.S. is also running out of space to build new landfills. Pressure building up between crustal plates below the Earth's surface spews gases, ash and molten lava. People who live near volcanoes can now be warned when to evacuate by new technology.