Worst Climate Threat You Never Heard of Is Stronger Than CO2
- HFCs are thousands of times stronger than CO2 at trapping heat
- As envoys debate a phase-out, some countries balk at cost
A mountain of discarded fridges are shown at a fridge disposal site in Trafford Park Industrial area in Manchester.
Photographer: Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The biggest global warming battle you’ve never heard of kicks off in Dubai this weekend.
Climate negotiators from across the globe will gather in the Persian Gulf city to debate how to get rid of hydrofluorocarbons -- a class of hundreds of artificial chemicals used in refrigerators, air-conditioners, fire suppressants and other widely used products. While less common than greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane, HFCs can be thousands of times more potent, pound for pound, at heating up the planet.