Dear “Earth Talk”: I’ve been told
that automobile air conditioners are bad for the environment. Why? And what
part of the air conditioner is bad?
— Susan Vogel, Somerville, N.J.
The harmful effects of automobile air conditioners can
be directly attributed to the leaking of CFC R-12, one of a number of
cooling ingredients patented by DuPont and popularly known as Freon. In
December 1995, the United States banned the manufacture of this
ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon as a means of adhering to standards set
by the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty phasing out the
production of such chemicals. But existing stockpiles of the gas —
and pre-1994 autos that still use it — could keep its toxic legacy
around for years.
The cooling ingredient HFC134A, also known as
tetrafluoroethane, has since replaced CFC R-12 as the main cooling
ingredient in car air conditioners. But even though HFC134A does not
contribute to ozone depletion and it’s a more eco-friendly choice
than R-12, the gas still contributes to global warming. In fact, because of
this, the European Union has slated a phase-out of HFC134A to begin in 2011
and be completed by 2017, despite the fact that alternatives are still only
in the experimental phases of development.
Owners of pre-1994 automobiles can spend a few hundred
dollars to modify their air conditioners to use HFC134A, though the
Environmental Protection Agency cautions that not all systems designed for
R-12 work as well with HFC134A and recommends such conversions only on cars
made after 1980.
When air conditioners in cars that use CFC R-12 are
being refilled or repaired, federal regulations require that the service
shops recycle the refrigerant instead of releasing it into the air.
Regulations also require that the refrigerant be removed from vehicles that
are scrapped or have been abandoned. The refrigerant is then filtered so
that it can be reused.
If the refrigerant in your vehicle’s
air-conditioning system needs to be replenished, always have a professional
do it. You can damage your system if you improperly change it yourself, and
only certified mechanics can legally purchase refill cans of CFC R-12.
Additionally, if your air-conditioning system is leaking refrigerant, have
it repaired — don’t just refill it. This will both protect the
environment and save you money in the long run.
Auto air conditioners carry other environmental
considerations, such as energy use. In an attempt to reduce the amount of
energy car air conditioners use, Toyota has created a lightweight
compressor — the heart of the air-conditioner — that consumes
60 percent less fuel.
Of course, the most environmentally sound and cheapest
way to cool your car is to open your windows and let in the fresh air.
According to the National Safety Council’s Safety and Health Policy
Center, driving without using the car’s air conditioning increases
fuel efficiency by about 2.5 miles per gallon.
For more information: EPA Motor Vehicle Air
Conditioning, www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/; Toyota Air Conditioning
Compressor, www.toyota-industries.com/environment/product/compressor.html;
National Safety Council’s Safety and Health Policy Center,
www.nsc.org/ehc.htm.
This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2005.
