Word: cfcs
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE HOLE IN THE EARTH'S protective ozone layer is a group of man-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigerators, air conditioners and plastic foams. The chlorine released when these compounds decompose attacks ozone, letting dangerous ultraviolet light from the sun shine through...
...instead, it was severe. That year also saw major eruptions by Mount Hudson in Chile and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Volcanoes release enormous amounts of dust. Dust, along with ice crystals, provides surfaces where ozone-destruction chemistry works most efficiently. Unfortunately, while the industrial world is phasing out CFCs before the turn of the century, other compounds are also ozone destroyers -- and volcano control is somewhat farther...
This planet -- once described by Lewis Thomas as "hanging there in space and obviously alive" -- is showing disturbing vital signs. The symptoms include accelerating deforestation and loss of species, and growing atmospheric pollution by greenhouse gases and the ozone-eating chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS). The full list is familiar. The causes are rooted in our growing numbers and the complexities of society's interaction with the natural world upon which we depend...
...kind of windmill or biodegradable plastic made from plants, is attracting attention from companies in a host of industrial nations. The U.S.'s Du Pont is in a race with Germany's Hoechst and Britain's ICI, among others, to develop replacement chemicals for ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs). Germany's Siemens is vying with such firms as Amoco in the U.S. and Sanyo in Japan to produce cheap, efficient solar electric cells...
Perhaps the greenest of nations is Germany, where commercial banks will grant low-interest loans for pro-environment projects and hotels urge guests to forgo daily towel changes to save water and energy. Environment Minister Klaus Topfer has ordered the phaseout of cfcs by next year -- two years earlier than most other countries -- and called for a 25% to 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. The government is investing heavily, having spent $90 million since 1974 on development of recyclable, high-efficiency batteries for electric cars and planning annual outlays of $182 million on solar-wind- and wave...