Air conditioning systems placed on buildings are seen as the New York skyline is on the background from West New York , New Jersey on May 04 2021. Photo Credit: VIEW Press via Getty Images

Environment USA24. May 2021

We Are Beginning the End of These Gases in Our Refrigerators

The United States is phasing out the production and use of polluting coolants found in fridges and air conditioners – known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – with an aim to decrease them by 85% over the next 15 years.

“With this proposal, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking another significant step under President Biden’s ambitious agenda to address the climate crisis,” says EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “By phasing down HFCs, which can be hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet, EPA is taking major action to help keep global temperature rise in check.″

HFCs are mainly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, and major environmental and business groups support the EPA’s proposal since it “will sharply reduce a sizable source of greenhouse gas emissions while creating new manufacturing jobs and growing our nation’s share of the global market for air-conditioning and refrigeration products,” says Chris Jahn, president of the American Chemistry Council. In fact, the industry has long been pushing towards alternative refrigerants, going as far as developing effective alternatives to HFCs. Thanks to the proposed rule, $284 billion could be saved over 30 years, as well as 187 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Source:
Associated Press

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