Aug 10 2009

Chemical Companies Push Dangerous Greenhouse Gases in Your Fridge

Feature Stories | Published 10 Aug 2009, 9:36 am | 6 Comments -

|

| the entire program

greenfreezeOfficials from various nations are looking to amend the Montreal Protocol to regulate so-called F-gases – the environmentally toxic gas commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners. In 1986, Chlorofluorocarbons, the pre-cursors to HFCs, were banned because of their serious danger to the Ozone layer. Touted by the major chemical companies as the environmentally friendly substitution to CFC’s, Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as well as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), collectively known as F-gases, stepped in to fill the void. What was not known widely at the time was that these new chemicals are greenhouse gases, and up to 20,000 times more potent than Carbon Dioxide. Described as “the worst Greenhouse gases you’ve never heard of,” these F-gases, account for about 17% of man-made climate change. Produced by such chemical powerhouses as Honeywell and DuPont, 90% of F-gases are being used to cool our refrigerators, homes, cars, and the food in our supermarkets and vending machines. The environmental organization Greenpeace, has developed a much safer alternative to the F-gases, called Greenfreeze, already being used in Asia, Europe, and South America.

GUEST: Kert Davies, research director with Greenpeace

Find out more at www.greenpeace.org.

Greenpeace’s website on “GreenFreeze” at www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/green-solutions/greenfreeze

6 responses so far

6 Responses to “Chemical Companies Push Dangerous Greenhouse Gases in Your Fridge”

  1. # Green Coolingon 10 Aug 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Great to see your coverage of this much neglected and rapidly rising source of greehouse emissions – but your summary is incorrect in stating that it was not known at the time they were introduced to replace CFCs that HCFCs and HFCs were greenhouse gases – Greenpeace deserves great credit for working since the early 90’s to raise the fact that HFCs are very bad news for climate, and this was known full well by policy makers at the time; it’s just that this was foolishly not condisidered to have been important enough to listen to those few environmentalists who were speaking out about this.

    Instead, the energetic and powerful lobbying by the fluorocarbon industry succeeded in pushing these dangerous gases onto the market in the developed countries, and the natural refrigerant solutions that existed then and are even more well developed now were largely ignored.

    The task of phasing out the HCFCs and HFCs is now more urgent than ever and offers highly effective short term climate mitigation measures. It is high time other environmental advocates got up to speed on this issue, and join those working to ensure that the Montreal Protocol and the UNFCCC are amended to work together to drive down use and emissions of these enormously powerful and dangerous greenhouse gases.

  2. # Stewarton 23 Jul 2014 at 2:33 am

    Hi there, I would like to subscribe for this blog to take hottest updates, so where can i do it please assist.

  3. # Business Intelligenceon 15 Sep 2015 at 10:47 am

    I would like to thnkx for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I am hoping the same high-grade site post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own blog now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a great example of it.

  4. # go to websiteon 19 Sep 2015 at 7:12 am

    Some times its a discomfort inside the ass to read what weblog owners wrote but this internet internet site is actually user genial ! .

  5. # Pornon 11 Oct 2015 at 7:45 pm

    We will supply deal reviews, deal coaching, and follow up to ensure you win the deals you can’t afford to shed.

  6. # Paris sexon 13 Oct 2015 at 10:04 am

    I took a break to view your write-up. I identified it very relaxing

  • Program Archives