Understanding Why Refrigerant Gases Have High Global Warming Potential (Gwp)

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by alexdecarvalho

Understanding Why Refrigerant Gases Have High Global Warming Potential (Gwp)

The higher the global warming potential a chemical has, the longer it stays in the atmosphere which causes greater damage to the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide has a global warming potential of 1.0, whereas refrigerants could be in hundreds or even thousands.

All greenhouse gases are assigned with global warming potential values. Scientists use this number in determining how refrigerant gases will bring impact to global warming in 20, 100, and 500 years. Most greenhouses gases stay in the atmosphere longer than 20 years, with many as high as 100 years. Unless action is taken to control carbon emissions and dangerous refrigerant gases, considerable harm will be done to the Earth.

In determining the global warming potential of a substance, three factors are considered. They are the amount of absorption of infrared radiation, the atmospheric location of where absorption takes place, and how long the substance remains in the atmosphere. Substances which have higher global warming potential would have higher negative environmental impacts.

To maintain a healthy environment, the lower the global warming potential of a substance or chemical, the better it is. Almost all refrigerants used to day are really greenhouse gases which largely contribute to global warming, and regulations are limiting the use of such as a first step in eventually phasing out its use and production in the near future.

Chemicals with the highest global warming potential are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), such as those found in refrigeration and cooling systems or HVAC-R equipment. The values for hydrochlorofluorocarbons range from 120 to 12,240 over their atmospheric lifetime. When these numbers are broken down, it takes only one molecule of refrigerant gas to cause harm to the ozone layer.

The refrigerant Trichlorotrifluoroethane (R-113) has one of the highest global warming potential values at 4800, while the refrigerant Dichlorotetrafluoroethane (R-114) has one of the lowest values at 3.9. The alternative SNAP refrigerants being developed by the EPA and various refrigerant gas manufacturers have no impact on global warming and are being used in the production of all types of new refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Because refrigerants used in commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, have a high global warming potential, facilities with this equipment in use are required to follow guidelines set forth by the U.S. International protocols and treaties mandate the reporting of refrigerant gas usage to environmental regulation authorities.

New regulations are helping in the reduction of refrigerant emissions with high global warming potential, though there are still reports of refrigerant leaks from systems which are poorly maintained.

By implementing leak reporting regulations and guidelines for fixing leaks, the U.S. is controlling the problem. The U.S. Clean Air Act is also well underway to phasing out harmful refrigerant gases by 2015 to ensure our environment remains healthy for years to come. Facilities should comply with these regulations in order to avoid penalties and sustain the future of the environment.

Effects of Climate Change by Greenhouse Gases

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by \!/_PeacePlusOne

Effects of Climate Change by Greenhouse Gases

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Climate Change is the abnormal change in the weather conditions which causes serious effects in human lives. It can be a change in the distribution of weather events around the world. That is over heat or over rain which is not normal. The Climate Change is largely related to the Global Warming. Global warming gets highly increased because of the serious climate changes.

General Facts of Climate Change

The climate in the world has been changing day by day mainly due to human activities like fossil fuel burning, usage of heavy plastics, industrial wastes, e-wastes, change in the land usage and pesticides used with agricultural lands. While burning the fossil fuels for electricity and other industrial processing, excessive amount of carbon-dioxide (CO2). The liberated CO2 covers the planet as a blanket which absorbs large amount of heat and keeps the planet warm.

The second major reason is the usage of plastics and the e-wastes. Wide usage of plastics can change the conditions of the soil, which in turn leads to lot of changes in the climate. E-wastes like electrical and electronic waste products will also leads to serious climate change effects.

Physical &Social Impacts of Climate Change:

Due to climate change lot of ill effects can be caused to the human lives. The average land and sea temperature can be increases to a large extent. There is an increase in floods, droughts, wildfires, earth quakes and various other measures. As a result of global warming the glaciers gets melting which will leads to severe flooding. The ice and the snow in the north and the south poles is melting and breaking continuously.

Agriculture is highly affected by the droughts which leads to scarcity of food supply. People loss their life and property by hurricanes and floods. New diseases arriving day by day and largely spoil the human life.

Greenhouse Effects on Climate Change:

The natural warming process of the earth is called as Greenhouse Effect. The heat energy reaches the earth from the sun, some of the heat energy is absorbed by the earth and the remaining reflected back to the space. This is the normal process. But by the global warming the greenhouse gases forms a blanket around the earth which does not allow the heat to the space. This excess heat makes the earth to get warm to a great extent. Some of the greenhouse gases are:

1. Carbon-dioxide (CO2)

2. Methane (CH4)

3. Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

The emissions which is generated during the combustion or decomposition of bio-materials is called as Bio-genital greenhouse gas emissions. This emission also include the sources like:

1. Utilizing forest and agricultural products for energy

2. Waste water treatment

3. Livestock management

4. Fermentation process for producing ethanol.

The carbon-dioxide is emitted to the earth by normal human processes. This cannot be avoidable but it should be controlled in a regular manner. But the flourinated gases like methane and ethanol are emitted only by the human activities like industrialization, deforestation and pollution. So it is the duty to every citizen to be aware of these effects and try to avoid such emissions.

Part 4 – Professor Bob Carter examines examples of the scientific data being ignored over popularist views about CO2 causing climate change and Global warming. Inconvenient Truth author Al Gore would find his presentation contradicted by this presentation? Will kyoto`s greenhouse reduction goals be in vain?

what if I had a way to virtually eliminate green-house gas emissions from utility boilers?

Posted in Green Q&A | 6 comments

I do have the technology, it is cheap, natural, and proven in real world applications. The invention reduces fuel consumption in biomass burners up tp 30%, eliminates slag build up on contact points, and reduces GH Gases, and Heavy metal vapours up to 98%. what next?

What are the green house gases that cause the green house effect?

Posted in Green Q&A | 2 comments

1.) What are the gases that cause the green house effect?

2.) What is the difference between weather and climate?