Keeping cool and carry on the good work, lecture at “ Gjergj Kastrioti High School, in Durres

In commemoration of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the NOU representatives, organized a lecture at “Gjergj Kastrioti”, High school, in Durres, the second largest district of the county. This activity was attended by the students of the XI grade, and the teachers Ms. Mimoza Risto and Ms.Mirela Shala. The Montreal Protocol is an universal agreement, finalized in 16 September, 1987 to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the consumption and production of ozone- depleting substances. In order to effectively underline that the depletion of the ozone layer is recognized as one of the Earth’s most important environmental issues and with the purpose to archive the activity’s goal, the event was organized in two sessions. During the first part of this event, a number of awareness activities were held such as information session for students and teachers regarding the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer, main causes of Ozone layer depletion and the importance of the Ozone Layer protection. During this session the NOU Representatives highlighted the evidence that without this environmental agreement, the stratospheric ozone layer would had failed to fulfill the paramount function of protecting the earth from the UV radiation, which would otherwise allow increased UV radiation to reach the earth, with the straightforward consequence of higher incidence of skin cancer, prevalence of eye cataracts, direct effects in the immune system and a more compromised one, reduced agriculture productivity negative effects on watersheds and forests. On the second part of the activity, the students were rewarded with T-shirts printed with the logo of World Ozone Day 2018 and information leaflets prepared by NOU to celebrate the occasion. The NOU representatives suggested to the students to update temporarily their profile pictures on social media by using the thematic products delivered to them by the NOU representatives or by inducing them to post photos from the event, hence conveying the awareness message for the celebration of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, through social media, as a communication mean and instrument.