The concerns he expresses are environmental, both in terms of energy efficiency (wasted fossil fuel energy) and in terms of lifecycle (component disposal). The

The concerns he expresses are environmental, both in terms of energy efficiency (wasted fossil fuel energy) and in terms of lifecycle (component disposal). There are many refrigerants in active use, not just R134a. The positive trend in developed countries (particularly Europe) is towards R744 (high pressure CO2) for commercial use. However, most refrigerants are still a long way from clean, including R134a. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane