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Basic Information
The ozone layer forms a thin shield in the upper atmosphere, protecting life on Earth from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. In the 1980s, scientists began accumulating evidence that the ozone layer was being depleted. Depletion of the ozone layer results in increased UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health effects, such as skin cancer, cataracts, and immune suppression.
The SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that aims to teach children and their caregivers how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun. Through the use of classroom-based, school-based, and community-based components, SunWise seeks to develop sustained sun-safe behaviors.
Brochures about UV radiation
The following brochures have basic information on UV radiation, the health effects of UV, and ozone layer depletion. You can view each brochure as a Web page or a PDF document.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
- UV Radiation (PDF version, 2 pp, 125K)
- Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun (PDF version, 2 pp, 129K)
- What is the UV Index and the UV Alert? (PDF version, 2 pp, 1.5MB)
- Ozone Depletion (PDF version, 2 pp, 142K)
Movies about UV radiation
Green Scene: Be SunWise with sun safe tips
See a video (movie) in which Luke Hall-Jordan of the SunWise Program discusses the importance of being SunWise while in the sun. (Opens a new browser window.)
In partnership with EPA, The Weather Channel produced three short movies about the health hazards of too much exposure to UV radiation, which aired on The Weather Channel's Forecast Earth cable network series. You can view the movies using your choice of the media players listed below. (You may obtain free player software using links below the movies. EPA does not promote or endorse these players.)
| Real Player | Windows Media Player | Apple Quicktime Player | Transcript | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin cancer - the danger of too much sun | ||||
| 56K Modem | (RM, 5.2MB) | (WMV, 2.8MB) | (MOV, 0.6MB) | (HTML, 7KB) |
| Broadband | (RM, 9.2MB) | (WMV, 16.4MB) | (MOV, 5.1MB) | |
| UV Index and sunscreen - how to protect yourself | ||||
| 56K Modem | (RM, 5.1MB) | (WMV, 2.7MB) | (MOV, 0.6MB) | (HTML, 7KB) |
| Broadband | (RM, 9.0MB) | (WMV, 16.2MB) | (MOV, 4.8MB) | |
| Be SunWise with children - cover up! | ||||
| 56K Modem | (RM, 5.7MB) | (WMV, 3.0MB) | (MOV, 0.7MB) | (HTML, 7KB) |
| Broadband | (RM, 9.9MB) | (WMV, 18.0MB) | (MOV, 5.4MB) | |
Related Movies
EPA and The Weather Channel have produced other movies related to UV radiation, which are housed in other areas of the EPA Web site. Movies are available on these topics:
EPA, the SHADE Foundation of America, and WeatherBug Schools have also produced a movie introducing sun safety. To see the WeatherBug Feature, entitled "Sun Safety," click on one of the links below:
- WeatherBug Feature: Sun Safety (Windows Media Player) (WMV, 3.3MB)
- WeatherBug Feature: Sun Safety (Apple QuickTime) (MOV, 12.6MB)
Movie Player Software
To view the movies listed above, you need to have player software on your computer for one of the movie formats mentioned. You can download player software using links to the vendor Web sites listed below. EPA does not promote or endorse these media players.
Microsoft Windows Media Player