CFC - worldwide ban
A worldwide ban of CFC could mean that millions of people could not afford refrigerators, and millions might die from food poisoning. Is that justified by saving the stratospheric ozone? It is justified because there are feasible alternative refrigeration systems that don’t emit chemical compounds that are harmful to the ozone layer. Less known refrigerants such as ammonia (NH3), Carbon dioxide (CO2) and propane (C3H8) have no impact at all on global warming as well as on the ozone layer. Not only are they environment friendly, they are also “better than with other systems,” said Kathy Loftus, global leader of Sustainable Engineering and Energy Management for Whole Foods Market. They are cheaper and food loss was cut by 1% because of the better cooling performance of its cases using the new system. If people cannot afford CO2 utilized refrigerators, there are natural ways of passive cooling. By just using a PVC (polyvinyl chloride) shelf unit and burlap bags, a huge amount of electricity can be saved. These materials are inexpensive and are widely available in local hardware stores. This refrigerant system has already been proven effective. Zeer pots are also used in third world countries without electricity. It was invented by Mohammed Bah Abba of Northern Nigeria. He received the prestigious Rolex award for his invention. It is basically a clay pot within a pot. Wet sand is filled in the space between two pots. A wet cloth is used as a cover. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it. This simple alternative refrigeration unit uses basic laws of physics to keep the inner vessel cool. Fresh produce last longer in these pots. Other slightly costly alternatives are using magnetic and thermoelectric refrigeration. According to S. Verma, a senior lecturer in the Department of Physics of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering, the ecofriendly refrigeration technologies are still in the stage of infancy but the principles used in these technologies