Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
China did an oopsie
#1
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48353341

This recent topic is centered around something you may have heard in science class called CFC's or chloroflourocarbons. Their molecular makeup allows these substances to be effective cooling agents to be used in various household appliances such as a refrigerator or home insulation for example.

Global production of CFC's began to have negative consequences for the Earth's atmosphere as they are dangerous greenhouse gases that have a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Production of CFC's was banned at the Montreal Protocol in 1982 and all's well and good. However, researchers monitoring the atmosphere found that the rate of depletion of CFC's has decreased - MEANING that somewhere, CFC's are being produced at a relatively large scale. As the title states, China was evidently found, through the monitoring and some detective work, that they are producing this illegal chemical. The officials when confronted admitted that it was cheaper and better quality than alternatives, and under pressure, they have already begun clamping down the production by shutting down CFC producing factories. Which is good if they do because our atmosphere will be able to effectively recover.

I recall hearing about this in my chemistry class and thinking about the shadiness of China's business practices. I mean, for all we know, China might still have factories producing this dangerous GHG. Just because something's easy to produce and it's better quality doesn't mean you should produce the illegal substance. Despite that, China is apparently an exception to this however I think they should quickly get their act together before humanity is doomed because of their negligence to preserve the precious atmosphere. What are your thoughts on this subject?
#2
After hearing about this in my chemistry class as well, I was never really in shock that China would continue to use banned CFC's to help aid in the rapid production of goods in their factories. For being one of the largest exporting nations of goods in the world I would expect that even if all these "rogue manufactures" that the Chinese government is clamping down on were to remove all the CFC's from their site, I would expect there to be many more factories in other parts of the nation or perhaps the world that are secretly using them in order to create cheaper products.
#3
Global warming awareness has increased drastically over the last few year especially this year with many well-known figures using their platform to spread the long known news about it. As much as we as individual people reduces harmful wastes that accelerate the Greenhouse Effect, I believe that it is ultimately up to the massive companies, and governments across the world to do something that will better the Earth before it is too late.
#4
I don't find this very surprising seeing as being the largest exporter of goods an enormous part of China's economy is centered around it's efficiency in making goods. This would mean that using these banned substances would be a great advantage seeing as the quality and quantity of these good would increase. Business wise the repercussions would be a small price to pay for the advantage attained. But seeing as China is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases they along with the other big emitters have a responsibility to think not only of themselves. I am almost certain that the US is also using some banned substances to better their goods seeing as many of the US's recent policies indicate that they have little interest in cutting emissions. Seeing as the US, China, and the EU combined account for nearly half the worlds greenhouse gas emissions choosing to put your county first before the world could be the end of them both.


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)