Dubai discussion about biggest climate threat 'you;ve never heard of'

T

he biggest global warming battle you’ve never heard of kicks off in Dubai this weekend.

Climate negotiators from across the globe will gather in the Persian Gulf city to debate how to get rid of hydrofluorocarbons -- a class of hundreds of artificial chemicals used in refrigerators, air-conditioners, fire suppressants and other widely used products. While less common than greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane, HFCs can be thousands of times more potent, pound for pound, at heating up the planet.

They’re also gaining in popularity as demand for air conditioning, refrigeration and other services is expected to soar in developing countries in coming decades. The result: HFCs are now the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gases and projected to rise even more in the future.

Read the Bloomberg Business story - “Worst Climate Threat You Never Heard of Is Stronger Than CO2.”