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AC is still a huge problem never mind the energy source: Hydrofluorocarbons, currently used as refrigerants, are 1000-9000 times stronger greenhouse gasses than
by tpm 5y ago
AC is still a huge problem never mind the energy source: Hydrofluorocarbons, currently used as refrigerants, are 1000-9000 times stronger greenhouse gasses than CO2. They will eventually be phased out, but until then will leak into the atmosphere a lot.
https://drawdown.org/solutions/refrigerant-management https://drawdown.org/solutions/refrigerant-management
- TeMPOraL 5y ago> Hydrofluorocarbons, currently used as refrigerants, are 1000-9000 times stronger greenhouse gasses than CO2. There's also many more times less of them in circulation. Also, arguably, ACs are a drop in the bucket compared to refrigeration (which is roughly the same thing, but in a box). There are options being explored, IIRC propane (aka. R290) turned out to be a great and environmentally-friendly alternative to hydrofluorocarbons.
- jillesvangurp 5y agoThey are a problem. But they also break down pretty quickly, just like methane. Unlike CO2, which can stay in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. That means they are much less of an issue than that number suggests unless we start mass dumping all of that into the air as opposed to recycling it. That is btw. happening with methane, which is leaking into the air from e.g. melting permafrost in Siberia, intensive farming and soil tilling, etc. Also, some heat pumps use alternate fluids. So, we might clean that up further. But compared to the massive scale with which we are producing CO2 currently, that's a minor issue.