It was an unqualified win for the environment: The phase-out of ozone depleting gases used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners the world over.
But in the last generation, their celebrated replacement, while not ozone-damaging, has also turned out to be deeply harmful to the environment. Called hydrofluorocarbons, they are potent greenhouse gases and can persist for years in the environment. Growing in popularity, some projections say HFCs could account for 19 percent of heat-trapping emissions by 2050. Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2011/05/a_phase-out_of_the_worst_green.html Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog posted by Beth Daley
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