Obama Administration Abuzz Over Greenhouse HFC's

Currently, HFC’s represent 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, but the amount of this gas released is expected to go up at a rate of 8.8% per year according to a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Other studies show that if trends continue, HFC’s could account for a third of the greenhouse effect by 2030. HFC gases are produced by refrigerators, air-conditioning units, fire extinguishers. They are sometimes called “super greenhouse gases” because pound for pound, they are much more dangerous for global warming than gases such as carbon dioxide.
 
One option: regulating through the Montreal Protocol

On Monday, the office of the US State Department released an open letter to the administrator of the Montreal Protocol expressing interest in regulating HFC’s through the existing protocol. The Montreal Protocol was ratified in 1987 in order to limit emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s) gases which destroy the Earth’s ozone layer. The Protocol, which was signed by 195 countries, is widely viewed as a model for global action against pollution.

The letter from the office for the “Environment and Sustainable Development” of the State Department explained that the office hadn’t had time to fully review the impacts of regulating HFC’s through the Montreal Protocol, but hinted that it was interested in pursuing such action. In response to the State Department’s letter, Alexander von Bismarck, the director an International environmental policy research group, declared that acting through the Montreal Protocol was “an opportunity the world can’t afford to miss.”

A debate within the Administration

While the office of the Secretary of State indicated a desire for action through the Montreal Protocol, it seems that there was a behind the scenes battle at the Whitehouse over what policy should be taken. The climate change policy website, solveclimate.com, indicated that one of President Obama’s senior economic advisors argued against action through the Montreal Protocol.

For now, the Administration seems to be buying time with the letter from the State department. Aside from proposing a new agreement on HFC’s at a Montreal Protocol meeting in November, other possible ways of reducing the pollutant include congressional legislation or incorporating HFC’s into the December Copenhagen climate change summit.

Tags: Global Warming, HFC's, Montreal Protocol, Obama Administration, State Department