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MIPIGGS Newsletter Contents * Levels Of Potent Greenhouse Gas Double Over Arctic* US foresees end to SF6 * Industry Foresees 'Ban Threat' For HFCs * Church Goes Green * California Caps Greenhouse Gases Levels Of Potent Greenhouse Gas Double Over Arctic Arctic atmospheric concentrations of the powerful greenhouse gas HFC134a used in car and building air conditioning, doubled over the four year period 2001 – 4, reports the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) [1]. HFC 134a is 1300 times as powerful in heating the atmosphere as the same quantity of CO2. The Institute describes the increase in HFC concentrations as 'substantial' while noting that increases in the ozone-depleting sister chemicals HCFCs are 'moderate' and the CFCs are now 'levelling off'. A graph published online by the Institute reveals a steady increase in atmospheric concentrations of 134a, based on daily monitoring from the Zeppelin monitoring station at Svalbard. "The rapid increase of HFCs in the atmosphere shows they are not being contained, whatever the refrigeration and air conditioning industry claims" says Chris Rose, MIPIGGs coordinator. "HFCs are a rapidly increasing climate threat, too much ignored by campaigners and policy-makers, while their growing use in air conditioning can only make matters far worse". EU bans on HFC 134a in car air conditioning do not begin until 2011 and are not complete until 2017. Contained in the Annual Report for 2004, the data seem to have been released in 2005 in Norwegian but only appeared on the NILU website in English this summer. They do not seem to have been reported in the UK media before. The Report also notes that the Zeppelin station is one of less than ten in Europe which is capable of making such measurements but it appears to be the only one publishing its data on HFCs in an accessible form. EEA Eionet data apparently include f-gases but are not publicly available. The report notes that the station's monitoring is threatened by a lack of funding and its equipment is ageing. It is unusual in running high frequency monitoring which enables concentrations to be related to emissions and polluted air transport episodes. Following European controls on SF6 in magnesium die-casting (banning major uses from 2008 – the 'f-gas Regulation') the US EPA says (American) SF6 emissions from this source 'could be history within four years' (ie 2010) under its voluntary 'Magnesium Partnership' initiative. The EPA attributes this to 'investing in innovative technologies'. (EPA press release 1 September 2006). Industry Foresees 'Ban Threat' For HFCs 'The EU could ban HFC refrigerants in 2010' says Ewen Rose writing in the UK Heating and Ventilation News. Graham Fox chairman of the HCVA's Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Group warned that the EU could review the new f-gas Regulation three years after it comes into force. His concern is that users, manufacturers and distributors may fail to achieve emission reductions by not taking seriously enough the Regulation's requirements for monitoring and leak reduction. In August the UK Environment Department (DEFRA) issued 'guidance' on how businesses need to comply with the EU f-gas Regulation. Most of the 'guidance' applies from 4 July 2007 [ENDS Report Bulletin 24 August 2006]. ENDS reported ' The Regulation covers refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump and fire-fighting equipment and containers for the gases. The definition of containers – products to transport or store F-gases – excludes aerosols'. By July 2007, 'operators will have to ensure containment and recovery of the gases through activities such as leakage checks and repairs, which are to be carried out by "qualified" personnel. Staff do not necessarily need to be "certified", and training and certification requirements will not have to be set up until July 2008'. Some products with f-gases will need to carry labels and use and disposal of some products and appliances containing F-gases is controlled. F-gases are already banned from trainers and limits on f-gases in tyres and windows will be phased in by July 2009. Stationary applications with 300kg or more of f-gases will need calibrated leakage detection systems. [2] In August the Church of England took a green step when it had what supplier Earthcare [3] claimed to be 'Britain's largest ever hydrocarbon refrigerant chiller for a building services application' installed at its HQ, the historic Church House building in Westminster close to the Houses of Parliament. The 600kW air cooled water chiller is part of the new EHS hydrocarbon chillers developed by Earthcare Products, the first air-cooled chillers operating on natural hydrocarbon refrigerants for very large cooling outputs. The largest model in the range offers 1,030kW. HC chillers have been available on the UK market since 1995, but their capacities were previously limited to around 200kW, says Earthcare. California Caps Greenhouse Gases The Pew Foundation reports: 'On August 30, 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger and the California Legislature reached an agreement on AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The Act caps California's greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2020. This agreement represents the first enforceable state-wide program in the U.S. to cap all GHG emissions from major industries that includes penalties for non-compliance. The bill requires the State Air Resources Board to establish a program for state-wide greenhouse gas emissions reporting and to monitor and enforce compliance with this program. The bill authorizes the state board to adopt market-based compliance mechanisms including cap-and-trade, and allows a one-year extension of the targets under extraordinary circumstances' [4] F-gases are included in the legislation. The Governor must be doing something right because 'Cool Connections News' (US Air conditioning and refrigeration institute – pro-HFCs) had reported in its August issue: 'In California and New Jersey, legislators are working on bills to limit emissions' ... both bills 'would have the effect of severely limiting our ability to use HFC-based refrigerants in our products. Both bills are being actively opposed by ARI through the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy.' However the Bill speaks about 'aggregate' emissions rather than reducing each gas so it can be expected that the f-gas lobby will make vigorous attempts to focus any reductions on other gases. Jason Anderson of the Institute for European Environmental Policy also points out that depending on how it is interpreted, the text of AB32 includes a possible loophole on 'significance', '(1) "Greenhouse gas emission source" or "source" means any source, or category of sources, of greenhouse gas emissions whose emissions are at a level of significance, as determined by the state board, that its participation in the program established under this division will enable the state board to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and monitor compliance with the state-wide greenhouse gas emissions limit.' Nevertheless the Californian move is significant in that it will focus more US attention on f-gases as a climate problem.
[1] Hermansen, O., Schmidbauer, N., Lunder, C., Stordal, F., Fjæraa, A.M., Schaug, J., Wehrli, C., Pedersen, I.T., Holmén, K., Braathen, O.-A. and Ström, J. (2005) Greenhouse gas monitoring at the Zeppelin station. Annual report 2004. ISBN: 82-425-1677-4 For further information or comment contact: secretary@mipiggs.org |
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