Refrigeration is costing the climate

Keeping cool is critically endangering the ozone. Fridges, freezers and air conditioning are often powered using chemicals that lead to a depletion of the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. The negative impact of this is astonishing and recently it has been recognized that its time to phase these chemicals out of daily use completely.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) in order to evaluate and regulate the use of ozone depleting substances. The intention of SNAP is to allow the smooth transition from these damaging chemicals to new substitutes that are less harmful to the environment.

Concerns about the effect of chemical usage on the ozone have existed since the 1970s when the EPA was founded. In the 1980s these worries were authenticated by the discovery of an 'ozone hole', not an actual hole but the unmistakable thinning of the ozone layer in Antarctica.

Currently these concerns are surfacing again and as a result one group of chemicals SNAP aims to phase out is hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are used to keep refrigeration units cold. HFCs had replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in an attempt to cut down the use of ozone diminishing chemicals under the Montreal Protocol, which aims to stop the production of ozone depleting substances. However, it has since been determined that HFCs also have a negative effect on global warming and on ozone depletion. It has in fact been exposed that HFCs are up to 14 000 times more damaging than the green house gas carbon dioxide.

On April 29th the US, Canada and Mexico all proposed an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to include HFCs as an environmentally harmful chemical that should be phased out of usage. Recently fears have arisen that without this amendment the use of HFCs in developing countries will increase as the demand for refrigeration and air conditioning increases.

The EPA have suggested four substitute refrigerants, these are isobutane, propane, HCR-188C, and HCR-188C1. The UK, Germany and Japan, amongst others, have been using Hydrocarbon based coolants for over a decade and the EPA believes that these refrigerants should replace the HFCs, which are causing global warming. The US is currently looking to use hydrocarbon refrigerants as a substitute for climate damaging HCF.

On December 3rd 2009, The Coca-Cola Company pledged that by 2015 all of its vending machines and coolers would use HFC alternatives by 2015. This decision is in response to the frightening statistic that recently revealed the change to alternative refrigerants will cut the equipment's current greenhouse gas emissions by 99 per cent.

"Greenpeace has played a critical role in raising our awareness about the need for natural refrigeration. Our announcement today demonstrates a commitment to use our influence in the marketplace to drive innovation and help shape a low-carbon future" announced Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola

Company. Author: Rachael Bristow | Climate Action

Image: iboy_daniel | Flickr