Keep the Beer Cold, Safely

I could write about Hurricane Florence and the climate connections fueling stronger and wetter storms but, let’s talk about a win-win climate warming stopper.

What do you think is the #1 way to fight climate change? Is it super insulating your home? No, but that is probably the best way for us to save money. Is it putting solar panels on your property. No, but the Chequamegon Bay Renewables just organized the biggest residential solar installation, ever, in Wisconsin. Is it electric vehicles? No, but the world’s top vehicle manufacturers are committed to getting us around in cars that do not go V-room. Is it wind generation? No, but wind generation is a strong indispensable #2 goal.

Clue, it is very dear to beer drinkers on hot afternoons. This agreement comes from a very determined effort by scientists, the UN, and industry. We are required to do very little. It is the recycling of refrigerants when we repair or replace our refrigerators, freezers, or air conditioners. While I was aware of the international treaties that our and other governments entered, I was not aware of how important they were.

Here is the story. Scientists discovered Mother Nature’s atmospheric ozone shield that protects us from harmful radiation was disappearing. Quickly, scientists and governments mobilized and a treaty was formed called the Montreal Protocol. Ozone destroying CFCs were outlawed and the most common replacement was HFCs that do not zap ozone.

Are we living happily ever after? No, another critical problem was discovered. While HFCs allowed Mother Nature to slowly repair the radiation protective ozone layer, the HFCs were discovered to be very strong greenhouse gasses.

Lucky for us, the Montreal Protocol is routinely updated. This time our scientists, government officials, and industrialists met in Kigali, Rwanda. They were pleased with the progress on the ozone layer, but they could see the disastrous implications of using HFCs for our climate. New refrigerants are now replacing HFCs. These changes are called the Kigali amendment.

This is what I call international stewardship. If we comply with this, it is the single most effective way to slow global warming. What can we as individuals do to help? We do not have to replace all our refrigeration appliances with energy star appliances, but we must make sure that when the old one wears out, that these old refrigerators are properly disposed of. This process is nearly fool proof if we simply turn the old appliance over to the company we bought the new one from.

I called a reputable appliance dealer to see what their protocol is. They said, when you buy a new refrigerator or freezer, the dealer will take the old one away and have the dangerous refrigerant sucked out prior to destruction. With this appliance dealer, the charge to us is 20 dollars to take the old appliance. So, don’t stick the old frig out in the woods and use it for target practice. It has been calculated that 90% of dangerous refrigerant escape happens at the end of the appliance’s life cycle. That means we chose if we are 90% of the solution or 90% of the problem.

 Let’s look at all the successes here. Stewardship of Mother Earth is never a done deal. If we have healthy science organizations like the EPA, scientists will find hazards, measure progress, adjust solutions, and secure our children’s safe future.

We also need international cooperation. The worst way to engage is to quit and that is exactly what President Trump did with the world’s most important agreement, the Paris Accord. Will the Paris accord, as it is written, save out kid’s future? No, but like the Montreal Protocol, it is continuously evaluated for upgrades and eventually it will.

One of nature’s rules of thumb is that co-operators always out compete non-cooperators. Quitters are not co-operators.

Think about that when you search for politicians on November’s ballot. This is another way that we can make a difference in our kid’s climate future.

Reference  book: “Drawdown” a New York Times Best Seller.