Some effects of global climate change include:. Use of CFCs is restricted to equipment placed into use prior to The production or import of HCFC and HCFCb for use in new units or applications was banned in the US as of January 1, , although production and import for use in existing equipment is allowed through Under these Rules, most HFC uses in polyurethane and other foams and in new retail food refrigerated cases will be phased out between January 1, and January 1 Use of HFCs in mobile air conditioning will end with Model Year , while prohibitions on HFC use in new fire suppression systems, cold storage, residential refrigeration, and building chillers go into place on January 1 of , , and , respectively.
In addition to the various production bans, servicers and disposers of appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners are required to obtain technician certification, proper refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment, and keep records. Skip to main content.
Disposing of the bank properly could do even more. Estimates are based on historical inventories of equipment that contains refrigerants. Unused canisters of CFCs, like the ones in the shed in Ghana, are probably not included in those models since they were never put into equipment. Something had to be done.
The gas can be incinerated in special kilns, breaking the molecules into a benign mixture. But with no disposal facilities in all of Ghana, indeed all of West Africa, the problem is financial. Chicago entrepreneurs Tim Brown and Gabe Plotkin believe the answer lies with the private sector.
They work at Tradewater , a company that develops projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their business model is based on being able to sell those reductions as carbon offset credits on carbon markets. In California, the cap-and-trade market buys and sells such carbon credits.
That rule is one reason why most of the CFCs in the U. So, Plotkin and Brown turned to the voluntary carbon market. The voluntary carbon market is where individuals and corporations go to buy carbon offsets , not because they are required to, but because they choose to meet personal or internal goals for carbon neutrality.
Offset projects on the voluntary market range from wind farms in Asia to reforestation in South America to clean cookstove projects in Africa. The money that corporations feed in to the voluntary market makes it possible for entrepreneurs like Brown and Plotkin to develop projects to reduce greenhouse gases that might not otherwise happen. The project generated nearly 20, carbon credits, the equivalent of preventing 20, tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
Tradewater offered the credits on the voluntary market, and waited for a buyer. Even by that expansive measure, Intuit has been carbon neutral since One way they achieve their neutrality goals is through the voluntary market. So, this is absolutely critical. Hopefully it makes a difference. It already has. Because of the sale, Tradewater was able to return to Ghana last December.
Over the course of two days, Brown and Plotkin removed the remaining cylinders from that dark shed, packing them onto 24 pallets. The pallets were loaded onto a ship to cross the Atlantic. If the market supports this second project, Brown and Plotkin will likely return to Ghana.
Meniel says there are more CFCs to be collected. We are still trying to sweep up in Ghana and then go to neighboring countries.
CFCs can generally impair the human immune system, and scientists have linked direct expose to problems with the central nervous system. These problems might include difficulty breathing or injury to the heart, kidneys and liver. CFCs contribute to the loss of the protective ozone layer, which blocks ultraviolet rays from the sun.
This exposes more people to UV radiation, which can cause skin cancer. According to the University of Georgia, one in five Americans develops skin cancer in his or her lifetime. Even if they don't develop skin cancer, some individuals experience wrinkled, thick or leathery skin from too much sun exposure.
Additionally, increased contact with ultraviolet rays can cause cataracts, macular degeneration and other eye damage. Cara Batema is a musician, teacher and writer who specializes in early childhood, special needs and psychology.
Since , Batema has been an active writer in the fields of education, parenting, science and health. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy and creative writing.
0コメント