Your next refrigerator or AC will be a lot different because of new laws

bgrpro65 mai 04, 2021

There's no denying that mankind has dramatically altered Earth's climate. What was once just a theory has now been cemented with evidence from all over the world, such as ice core samples, historic CO2 trends, retreating glaciers, and a rising sea level. Scientists have offered solutions, but the adoption of those ideas has been slow. Reduction in fossil fuel use is a big one, but other gases, like CFCs, have already been largely phased out in many nations. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is targeting hydrofluorocarbons as the next greenhouse gas that needs to go, and that could mean big changes for the air conditioning and refrigeration industries.

Hydrofluorocarbons (or HFCs for short) are gases that, when released into the atmosphere, act as an insulator and produce a greenhouse effect. This means that energy from the Sun passes through them in the form of light, but they prevent heat from escaping, resulting in a warmer planet. The move to reduce the amount of HFCs is part of the new American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which became law in December 2020 and was part of a pandemic relief package, AP reports.