I read an article few days back and couldn’t stop pondering over it for few hours. Hydrofluorocarbons or known as (HFCs) are already on rise at 54% in UK. Since the beginning of the spring and soon the arrival of the summer, people in UK have already started using the air-conditioners. This gas is replacement of hydrochlorofluorocarbons or known as (HCFCs) which is depleting the Ozone layer. Even though HFCs is not as potent as HCFCs but it has risen at such an alarming rate that scientists are getting worried over it. A recent study slowed that in the developing countries like India, China and Nigeria, there will be higher demand for air-conditioners. In my city Delhi, you need to use air-conditioners when the temperatures rise to 45 to 47 degrees Celsius .
“CFCs and HCFCs were used as refrigerants in air conditioning units and fridges, propellants in aerosol sprays, and fire suppressants in extinguishers” (taken from the article)
During the Montreal Protocol, the countries pledged to use a replacement which was safer that before
As the demand grow up, cheaper and bad technology would be in demand that will eventually give rise to more HFCs.
What could be the solution to this? Maybe coming up with a replacement which is safer that this one?
Not using the air-conditioner is completely unreasonable.
What would you suggest?
Written by: Pushkar Sabharwal
Excerpts taken from:
http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/04/hydrofluorocarbon-emissions-up-54-percent-with-air-conditioning-on-the-rise/
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/04/22/1420247112