The irony of patching the ozone hole

Washington Post:

This is not the funny kind of irony: Scientists say the chemicals that helped solve the last global environmental crisis -- the hole in the ozone layer -- are making the current one worse.

The chemicals, called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), were introduced widely in the 1990s to replace ozone-depleting gases used in air conditioners, refrigerators and insulating foam.

They worked: The earth's protective shield seems to be recovering.

But researchers say what's good for ozone is bad for climate change. In the atmosphere, these replacement chemicals act like "super" greenhouse gases, with a heat-trapping power that can be 4,470 times that of carbon dioxide.

Now, scientists say, the world must find replacements for the replacements -- or these super-emissions could cancel out other efforts to stop global warming.

"Whatever targets you thought you were going to make," said David Fahey, a physicist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "it will be undermined by the fact that you have . . . additional emissions that you hadn't planned on."

...

Last month, a group of scientists published a paper projecting that, if unchecked, the emissions would rise rapidly over the next 40 years. By 2050, they found, the amount of super greenhouse gases in the atmosphere might be equal to six or more years' worth of carbon dioxide emissions.

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What does he mean haven't planned on? They were mandated. It is just more evidence that so called climate scientist know less than they think they do when it comes to manipulating the atmosphere. Does this mean we can go back to freon now? It now appears that the restictions on CO2 will be more than offset by leaking coolant.

The Climate change movement is at war with our current comfort. Whether it is heating in the winter or cooling in the summer the climate change crowd is lining up against comfortable home and auto environments. I think we should require that AlGore and other globo warmers not be allowed to heat or cool their homes or offices or theri transportation. In fact, they should not be allowed transportation until they can figure out how to do it without effecting the global thermostat.