The Environment: A Global Overview

It is not difficult to become a believer in globalAccording to a European Research Commission
warming. According to the U.S. National Climatic DataReport of July 2001 "The cost of producing electricity
Center 2001 was the second warmest year onfrom coal or oil would double if costs such as damage
record and it was the 23rd consecutive year ofto the environment and health were taken into
above normal temperatures. Perhaps most troubling isaccount".
the fact that the rate of temperature increase isThe global movement to high efficiency is
accelerating. Add to this the data just released fromaccelerating just like the rate of temperature
insurer Munich Re stating that deaths from naturalincrease. But this is not all that is changing. This
disasters were more than double in 2001 versus 2000second environmental threat of global warming is
and insured losses were up more than 50%.UNEPmaking it clear that we need to give combined
estimates that the extra economic costs of disastersconsideration to ozone depletion and global warming.
attributable to global warming are running at moreBut more important is the need to focus on the real
than $300 billion annually.issue which is the total environmental impact not
Some 180 countries are proceeding toward anaddress each individual environmental threat in
expected ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by theisolation. This includes the concept of environmental
end of this year. Of the six gases it will control CO2risk exposure, which recognizes that there are other
is by far the largest contributing nearly 90% of theenvironmental threats that are less well understood
global warming impact. The primary source of CO2 istoday. However, there are "no regrets" decisions we
the burning of fossil fuels. Therefore the focus oncan make today (such as minimum refrigerant charge,
energy will continue to increase.minimum atmospheric life refrigerants, etc.) to
Throughout the world different methods are beingminimize these risks.
used to encourage reduced energy use. Japan hasCombined consideration would place more emphasis
enacted the Energy Conservation Law in 1999on reducing the use of CFCs, which are still being
mandating huge efficiency improvements by 2004 forproduced in developing countries until 2010 in
nearly all air conditioning products. The U.S. hasaccordance with the Montreal Protocol. Little attention
revised ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for buildings to raiseis being given the large contribution to global warming
the minimum COP level for centrifugal chillers fromfrom CFCs. Actions which cause confusion and delay
the current value of 5.2 to 6.1 effective in Octoberthe phaseout of CFCs cause increased environmental
2001. DOE and Green Seal have revised theirdamage rather than lessening the environmental
recommended efficiency levels to an even higherimpact.
level of 6.27.The other rapidly changing factor in the HVAC
Some countries use laws. Others use codes andindustry is the shift to becoming a hermetic industry,
standards. An increasing number of countries arewhere refrigerant is contained throughout the life of
using environmental costing which increases the pricea chiller and recycled for further use when the chiller
of energy thereby increasing the financialis replaced. This simple understanding that "if it
attractiveness of high efficiency products. Europeandoesn't get into the environment it does no harm" is
countries have been using such "carbon taxes" fora powerful argument, which will lead to the continued
more than a decade. However a rapidly growinguse of the most efficient refrigerants in such closed
trend in developing countries is the reduction ofhermetic applications as chillers. In just 15 years annual
subsidies to energy industries "so prices morerefrigerants emissions from chillers have been
accurately reflect environmental impacts" accordingreduced from 25% to well below 1% today. This
to OECD's Environmental Strategy for the Firstdefines a whole different world than that which
Decade of the 21st Century.existed when the Montreal Protocol was crafted
China has shown leadership by reducing subsidies tosome 15 years ago.
the coal industry from $24.5 billion in 1990 to $10But perhaps the most important change coming to
billion in 1996 resulting in 7% emissions reduction whileour industry is the realization that there are no new
seeing a solid economic growth of 36%! China is nowor "perfect" refrigerants waiting to be discovered.
moving aggressively into environmental costing withThere are eight elements that can be combined for
the just announced (1/13/2002) 5-year environmentaluse in a vapor compression cycle. All feasible
plan that commits 700 billion yuan ($84 billion) to helpcombinations of these eight have been evaluated.
protect the environment. The government willThe reality is "what we have now is all there is".
provide the fist 65 billion yuan to initiate the projectThis recognition is why we are now seeing a shift
but will apply the "polluter pays" principle for the rest.from the search for a perfect refrigerant to a search
The "environmental protection authorities will collectfor the right refrigerant(s) for the right application.
funds from the pollution-producing companies". TheSaid another way, the highest efficiency refrigerants
impact on the price of energy is not known at thisfor the lowest emissions applications. Many in our
time. However it is clear that the addition ofindustry call this "Responsible Use".
environmental costing will increase energy prices.