Along with a grouping of independent tec , The New York Timesbelieves they may have pinpoint who in the world continue to produce an outlawed chemical responsible for for create the fix in Earth ’s ozone stratum .
In May , scientist of a study publish inNaturefound one of modern chronicle ’s most unexpected global befoulment mysteries : a surprise rise in emissions of chlorofluorocarbon ( CFCs ) , in particularCFC-11 . This inwardness , banned under theMontreal Protocol , is used in the production of froth insulation for refrigerator and buildings .
The 1987 international agreement called for the ban of CFCs with a full phase - out project for 2010 , ensue in a full retrieval of the ozone stratum by the eye of this century . The outcome looked bright when research last fall indicate the pickle was thesmallestit ’s been in almost three 10 . However , scientists suggested on-going CFC emanation could change that , but other than a suggest at East Asia origin , they had no idea who could be responsible .
Now the grounds points to eight factories in China that have cut the decades - old treaty .
“ You had a choice : opt the cheaper foam agent that ’s not so good for the environs , or the expensive one that ’s better for the environment , ” Zhang Wenbo , owner of a Formosan refrigerator factory , separate theNYT , go along he and many other small - scale manufacturer widely used CFC-11 to make foam insulation because nobody recount his company the outlawed gasoline was damaging the atmospheric state and they “ thought it was O.K. ”
“ Of course , we chose the chinchy foam agentive role , ” said Zhang . “ That ’s how we make it . ”
CFCs were ordinarily used in refrigerators and aerosol sprays before it became apparent they were eat up the ozone shield , the protective stratum blocking the Sun ’s harmful ultraviolet shaft of light . These rays break down CFCs , which release atomic number 17 particles that deplete the ozone bed . At least 7,000 tonnes ( 7,700 tons ) of CFCs were being produced each year , despite official production being atzero . full approximation suggest 13 million kilograms ( 28.6 million pounds ) of the chemical substance , which is the fifth - most common cause of global warming , were produced in late eld – a puzzling notion for scientist think there are nowcheaper , safer alternatives usable .
" The Montzka newspaper face one of the greatest environmental crime mysteries in modern chronicle , " Alexander von Bismarck , executive managing director of environmental watchdog organization the Environmental Investigation Agency ( EIA ) , enjoin in a comment e-mail toNewsweek . " The scale of this environmental criminal offence is annihilating with monolithic potential wallop on the climate and the ozone bed . "
The system witness the company using CFC-11 through grounds gathered by resume and people on the flat coat . Where there ’s smoke , there ’s likely to be fire . A clime policy leadsaidother “ well - locate germ ” in the industry signal a wider practice . EIA say they ’ve given their findings to the Chinese government and there are mechanisms that could stop future output under the Montreal Protocol .
[ H / T : New York Times ]
