Hydrofluorocarbons, ozone's friend or enemy?

Hydrofluorocarbons, considered widely to be a useful means for protecting the ozone layer, have recently come under fire as another potential source of global warming in the future according to research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Though HFCs have proven to be a useful method for reducing ozone damage, they have a negative impact when it comes to global warming based on projections through the year 2050.

"HFCs are good for protecting the ozone layer, but they are not climate friendly," said David W. Fahey, a scientist at NOAA.

HFCs are usually overlooked as a cause of climate change because they pale in comparison to the earth torching substance that is CO2. However, in the long term this substance could account for as much as 10-12% of worldwide global warming.

HFCs are a common refrigerant used in many cooling devices, and as the demand for these products continues to increase in foreign countries, their impact will become more and more prevalent.

Research is already under way to determine methods to mitigate HFC use, and with proper planning and legislation, it is expected that HFC related climate change will peak by the year 2040, and actually significantly decline by 2050.

The full story can be found here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622171503.htm