Word: ultraviolet
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Meanwhile, some of the harm already done will not easily be repaired and may have far-reaching impact. For many years, the industrial nations have been releasing chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere, not realizing that these chemicals were destroying the ozone layer, which shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Because of the vagaries of air currents, ozone depletion has been most severe over Antarctica. It was the discovery in 1983 of an "ozone hole" over the continent that first alerted scientists to the immediacy of the CFC threat...
...main floor of Lamont Library has a new look this fall, bedecked in "Ultraviolet Plus" carpeting designed to quell the squeakiness of the cork tile floor...
...heat like a greenhouse, could begin to smother the planet, raising temperatures, turning farmland to desert, swelling oceans anywhere from four feet to 20 feet. Goodbye Venice, goodbye Bangladesh. Goodbye to millions of species of animals, insects and plants that haven't already succumbed to acid rain, ultraviolet radiation leaking through the damaged ozone layer, spreading toxic wastes or bulldozers...
...premature wrinkling and sagging. Of greater concern, it causes as many as half a million new cases of skin cancer every year. Most of these are basal or squamous cell carcinomas, which have high cure rates. But solar radiation may be a cause of melanoma, which can be fatal. Ultraviolet light apparently weakens the immune system; after a severe sunburn, some people suffer outbreaks of oral herpes or other disorders. Excessive exposure aggravates cases of chicken pox and can be especially dangerous, even fatal, to victims of lupus...
...Ultraviolet rays have been implicated in the development of cataracts, a clouding of the eye lens. The rays chemically alter the lens' proteins, making them stick together and turning a clear lens murky. For protection during long exposure to the sun, doctors recommend wearing sunglasses, especially those that completely block ultraviolet, and wide-brimmed hats...