E.P.A. to Sharply Limit Powerful Greenhouse Gases: Hydrofluorocarbons, the Earth-warming chemicals used in air-conditioning and refrigeration.

Mark, are there suitable alternatives for air conditioning / refrigeration? The question would be whether less-efficient substitutes require so much more energy to get the job done they might create enough CO2 to minimize benefits, or trap even more heat from the sun.

When hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were replaced with other ,  substances to protect the ozone layer in the 1990s, it was considered a shining example of international cooperation. But producers of aerosol sprays in developing countries are now ignoring those restrctions  - HCFCs just work better. So without some kind of intervention we'll soon be back to where we started.

There's a lesson here: the effectiveness of expensive solutions to global environmental problems will be limited. We can point to the declining price of solar panels and wind turbines all we want, but there's no evidence their adoption lowers the price of electricity. For generating that, coal, gas, and nuclear just work better.

which jointly championed bipartisan legislation passed by Congress in December to tackle HFCs.

Always good to see this-- what was the difference, though? Is there simply not an HFC lobbying arm? Or is this action just so 'obvious' that of course it is being taken (and those representatives who aren't typical environmental champions can point to it when their 'green cred' is questioned)?

Nice work, Mark, getting this news out there. For more info on how the HFC phasedown is going to go down, check out my Energy Central post titled The US just passed a law to restrict climate warming refrigerants. Here’s how it’s going to work.