by Citation News Editor
17. May 2010
Canada and Mexico are collaborating with the United States to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are a major factor in the issue of global climate change. The North American countries wish to expand the scope of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Protocol, enacted in 1987, is a treaty between 196 countries which proposes the restoration of the ozone layer by ending the production of ozone-depleting substances.
The Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act proposed the phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by having manufacturers of equipment such as car air conditioners and kitchen refrigerators substitute HFCs as an alternative. However, HFCs are up to 14,000 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. The North American proposal would reduce the use of HFCs.
EPA is evaluating substitute chemicals and technologies for ozone-depleting materials. EPA is currently proposing four refrigerants as potential alternatives in U.S. domestic and commercial refrigerators and freezers. The following hydrocarbon-based coolants would replace current refrigerants which harm the stratospheric ozone layer and the climate system: isobutane, propane, HCR-188C, and HCR-188C1 as potentially acceptable substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals CFC-12 and HCFC-22.
Further information on the trilateral proposal can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/intpol/mpagreement.html
Information on the four replacement chemicals is located at: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/
