Cooling aircon is heating up the planet with dire consequences

Scientists are increasingly alarmed about the gases on which air conditioners are run, and the possible impact of global warming. China is the biggest market for air conditioners in the world. Sales are growing at 20 per cent each year and in 2011 China produced 70 per cent of the world’s air conditioners. To protect the ozone layer, industrialised countries such as the United States switched to an “environmentally friendly” air conditioner containing an HFC coolant labelled 410a. But scientists say the warming effect for this coolant is 2,100 times that of carbon dioxide and new gases known as ‘f’ gases pose a great danger to the environment.