AN ENVIRONMENTAL advocate urged consumers to stop using products that have Hydroflourocarbons (HFC), a type of greenhouse gas that is used as an alternative to Chloroflourocarbons (CFC), as this still contributes to climate change.
Like CFCs, HFC is mostly use in air conditioning, refrigerants, dispenser, aerosols, inhalers, fire suppressants, and food production.
National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas Engineer Melvin Purzuelo said that the rapid increase in consumption of HFCs will be responsible for the 0.5 degrees-Celsius rise in the world's temperature by 2100. If the practice continues to accelerate, the world will not meet the target for a limit to 1.5 degrees Celsius that poses serious climate threats and disasters.
“HFC has the higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide,” Purzuelo said.
The HFCs has been used as an alternative to CFCs, a substance that causes ozone-depletion when the sun’s UV rays come in contact with CFCs, the chlorine atoms it contains releases and these chlorine atoms go to the atmosphere and unite with ozone molecules.
When a free oxygen atom contacts this, chlorine-oxygen compound, the two oxygen atoms combine to form molecular oxygen, and the chlorine goes off to devastate more ozone molecules. Molecular oxygen, unlike ozone molecules, cannot keep UV rays from reaching the Earth's surface.
“So ang naging role ng HFC, naging alternative siya ng CFCs para sa protection ng ozone pero hindi natin nakikita na ang pag protect pa lang sa ozone ay nakakapag create din ng ibang problema,” Purzeulo said.
Thus, after it was discovered that HFCs were actually greenhouse gases that contributed to global warming, they are advocating for its less utilization since it has a great impact on the environment and has global warming potential than other green house gasses.
“Nagco-contribute kasi ang HFCs kasi kailangan natin magpalamig kaya gumagamit tayo ng air conditioning system pero ang trend ngayon sa daming gumagamit ng aircon at refrigerator nag increase halos double 'yong consumption ng HFCs every five years,” he said.