Earth Saving Tips
October 03, 2003
Just last week, scientists recorded the hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic to be the second largest on record. The ozone layer protects the planet from being bombarded with harmful UV radiation, that can cause skin cancer in humans and a host of other problems. Scientists agree that this problem is caused by humans and can be attributed to products that we use in our homes and offices.
DID YOU KNOW
- The ozone layer is being depleted by manmade gases (chloroflourocarbons - also called CFCs - and halons) that are found in homes and offices all over the world.
- They are still being used today. Freon is used as a car coolant, in residential air conditioning, and refrigerators and is a CFC.
- Although CFCs were banned in aeresol cans in 1978, 10% of aeresols still use CFCs as propellants.
- Some fire extinguishers sold for the home use halon as propellants. Unfortunately, these halons will eventually attack the ozone layer, even if the fire extinguishers are never used. Why? The ozone-depleting gases gradually leak into the atmosphere.
SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO
- Don't buy halon fire extinguishers.
- Avoid polystyrene foam (styrofoam) which can contain CFCs in some cases. See out earlier Earth Saving Tip about bringing your own containers with you to restaurants to carry out your food.
- Get your car air-conditioner checked for leaks and fix them, if neccesary. In addition, you should only patronize repair shops that use CFC recycling equipment.
- Don't buy aeresol cans containing CFCs. Better yet: don't use aeresols at all. Even with substitute gases, aeresol sprays aren't benign; propane and butane, the propellants used in most aeresols today, help create smog when they intereact with sunlight. Lots of products today come with non-aeresols vacuum pumps.
To check your own aeresol cans, keep a lookout for these chemicals - Trichloroflouromethane, Dichlorodiflouromethane, Trichlorotriflouromethane, Dichlorotetraflouroehane, Monochloropentaflouroethane, all CFCs.
Check back every Friday for more Earth Saving Tips! Have ideas? Send your green tips to eswinformation@esw.org or post them in the comments (below) for everyone to read.