Located slightly west of the international dateline, and in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealanders are among the first in the world to feel the warmth of the sun as it rises each day.
Ozone is a form of oxygen that absorbs damaging UV radiation.
UV radiation in the Southern Hemisphere tends to be greater because of North-South differences in the atmosphere and because the sun is closer to the earth during the Southern Hemisphere s summer. In fact, measurements show that actual Southern Hemisphere ground level UV radiation is even higher. In addition to serious ecological implications, the trends pose a direct threat to human health. According to separate research, skin cancer rates in New Zealand already are high and continuing to rise, a situation mostly attributed to factors other than the increases in UV radiation. The Cancer Society of New Zealand has responded aggressively to the trends by encouraging people to protect themselves from solar radiation.