Mysterious rise in emissions of ozone-damaging chemical

[Judi Lynn]

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent
8 hours ago

Scientists have detected an unexpected rise in atmospheric levels of CFC-11, a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) highly damaging to the ozone layer.

Banned by the Montreal Protocol in 1987, CFC-11 was seen to be declining as expected but that fall has slowed down by 50% since 2012.

Researchers say their evidence shows it's likely that new, illegal emissions of CFC-11 are coming from East Asia.

These could hamper the recovery of the ozone hole and worsen climate change.

More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44138984

[nitpicker]

1. From The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/16/mysterious-rise-in-banned-ozone-destroying-chemical-shocks-scientists

Mysterious rise in banned ozone-destroying chemical shocks scientists

Damian Carrington Environment editor

Wed 16 May 2018 18.00 BST Last modified on Wed 16 May 2018 22.00 BST


A sharp and mysterious rise in emissions of a key ozone-destroying chemical has been detected by scientists, despite its production being banned around the world. Unless the culprit is found and stopped, the recovery of the ozone layer, which protects life on Earth from damaging UV radiation, could be delayed by a decade. The source of the new emissions has been tracked to east Asia, but finding a more precise location requires further investigation.
(snip)

Scientists then embarked on an investigation, published in the journal Nature, to find out the cause. The detective work began by assessing whether there had been changes in how the atmosphere distributes and destroys CFC-11 that could explain the changed measurements. But this factor was mostly ruled out and in the most recent data – 2017 – it appears to have played no role at all.

Next, the researchers looked at whether the release of CFC from older materials could have doubled, as required to explain the data. “But we don’t know of any folks who are destroying buildings at a much more dramatic rate than they were before,” said Montzka.

Lastly, the team considered whether the new CFC-11 was being produced as a by-product of some other chemical manufacturing process. But they ruled this out too, as the quantities involved are too high, representing a 25% rise in global emissions. “You are left with, boy, it really looks like somebody is making it new,” said Montzka, who noted that the less damaging replacement for CFC-11 is more expensive to make.
(snip)

[hunter]

2. If the culprits wanted inexpensive refrigerants they'd have gone with R-290...

... which is ordinary propane. R-290 shouldn't be too scary to anyone willing to drive around in gasoline powered automobiles or allow a gas stove in their kitchen.

"Green" household refrigerators, freezers, and small air conditioners are using R-290 now in amounts not considered dangerously flammable since modern machines with solid state controls don't have electrical contacts that spark.

R-290 also used in large outdoor industrial chillers.

If all the environmentally troublesome refrigerants were banned, including some of the current favorites, life would go on. We could still live in air conditioned homes, drive air conditioned cars, and enjoy frozen and refrigerated foods from the grocery store.