Up in the Air

By Bill Polits

When ozone depleting substances such as halons and other CFCs were banned by the Montreal Protocol, replacements known as HFCs eventually stepped in to fill the gap in refrigeration, fire protection, and other uses.

The problem with HFCs is that although they don't harm the protectiive stratospheric ozone layer, they are potent greenhouse gases. Currently, the contribution of HFCs to global warming is small, but as the developing world industrializes, the level of contribution by HFCs is predicted to rise dramatically. A new report by the United Nations Environmental Programme outlines the problem in this press release.

Recently, several countries - including the United States - have been promoting the idea of expanding the Montreal Protocol to include tools to implement a phase-out of HFCs. If such a plan were put in place, it might limit the availability of HFCs for many industries including clean agent fire suppression.