What Should Air-conditioners Do for the Environment?
There are two main ways that air-conditioners impact the environment in a life cycle that includes manufacture, use by customer, recovery, and disposal at the end of useful life.
| 1. |
Air-conditioners need electricity to operate, and power plants generate CO2 (carbon dioxide) through
the process of power generation.
• This is a cause of global warming. |
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| 2. |
Air-conditioners use fluorocarbons as refrigerants.
• Fluorocarbons affect the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.
In addition to the above, there are other things that must be done: making efficient use of the resources used as raw materials for air-conditioners; and properly disposing of or recycling used air-conditioners. |
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