The use of HFC gas in air conditioners will be stopped - a greenhouse gas 14,000 times stronger than CO2

The alternative to CFC, the gas that caused the thinning of the ozone layer - HFC was discovered to be a dangerous greenhouse gas, and now this gas will also be replaced

In the second half of the XNUMXth century, scientists noticed the shrinking of the ozone layer, the same layer that protects many species from ultraviolet (uv) rays. It turned out that the main cause of shrinkage are gases used in sprays, solvents and cooling systems, the main one being chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

In order to stop the damage, conferences were convened in Montreal and Vienna, as a result of which the "Montreal Treaty" was formulated according to which the use of gas would be reduced to the point of a complete stop, and since the XNUMXs the contraction of the ozone layer has stopped and in recent years there are signs of the layer thickening,

However, it turns out that the alternative, which is a derivative of CFCs, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) is a greenhouse gas and "contributes" to global warming. It turns out that HFC causes warming at a much higher level than carbon dioxide - CO2 (per 14,000). In an attempt to solve the problem, the 28th conference of the countries that ratified the Montreal Convention was convened in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, with the intention of amending the convention so that there would also be a restriction on the use of HFCs. The intention is to decide on the cessation of HFC production and further reducing the use until a complete stop.

In the best spirit of the gathering, the conference opened with the statement: "Since God chose man to rule over the other creatures, man has the supreme role as the ruler of the earth, the animals and the plants, that is, the world." In other words, man serves as God's representative and as such he must do for the world, "it is a sacred role and responsibility that binds everyone.

After "fulfilling the duty to the Creator" comes a significant paragraph that says: "We all live in the same environment and depend on the fruits of nature for existence, which obligates everyone to use these fruits correctly, that is sustainably",

The choice for the location of the conference is not accidental as it turns out that Rwanda is working vigorously to mitigate the effect of harmful greenhouse gases through a government order to control and moderate the use, production and import of products that contain gases that damage the ozone layer or cause warming.

Environmental institutions in Rwanda serve as "watchdogs" that ensure the implementation of the prohibitions for the sake of the environment. The government order and the supervision of environmental bodies put Rwanda in a leading position to implement the procedures of the Montreal Convention.

When an environmental problem is discovered, as in the case of CFCs, differences of opinion arise as to the solution, differences of opinion based on different approaches to the importance of nature and a different assessment of the importance of harm to the natural environment or to people. In order for other countries to compare to Rwanda, it is necessary to integrate industrialists and large companies to implement the restrictions of the Montreal Convention and, of course, it is necessary for other countries to ratify the convention and commit to its implementation.

In addition to this, there is a need for a strong body to monitor and enforce the rules of the treaty, supervision and enforcement by imposing trade restrictions and economic sanctions, it has been proven that advertising and shaming have even caused countries to change their behavior. The way to add countries that are not signatories to the treaty is through incentives that will show them the profit in joining, since it is clear that not joining will harm the environment and the harm will be general, therefore all parties must do everything to stop the harm.

The conference concluded with a general agreement that "everything possible must be done to stop the use of HFC, which is a significant factor in global warming."

This agreement constitutes a positive amendment to the Montreal Convention, but since this is not a binding decision, we have to wait and see how the problem of the "alternative" HFC gas that is used today instead of CFCs and causes warming will be resolved?

Since nowadays there are natural substitutes for use as coolants, such as propane and ammonia, and following the success of the convention in Paris last year, a positive wind is blowing. There is hope for success, that is, for a binding decision and the accession of more countries, a step that means the slowdown of global warming.

For news on the subject on the Nature website