ACtion Magazine - July/August 2014 - (Page 34)

Happy 40th! (1974 - 2014) By Steve Schaeber T his summer marks the 40th anniversary of the publication ﬂuoromethanes: chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone," it of a document that has not only transformed the mobile was written by Mario J. Molina and Frank Sherwood Rowland of air conditioning industry, but has also had a major im- the University of California, Irvine. While it's not a terribly grippact on the overall climate discussion. Its publication was at the ping read (it's just like reading a research paper from one of your forefront of the green revolution, before it was cool to be green. college chemistry classes), it is profound for its time in what it The authors surely could not have predicted the magnitude of says. Basically it is the primer for what we (MACS) teach in our their work, and just how much of an affect Section 609 Certiﬁcation training classes; it would have, but in the long run, it has that when CFCs are released into the atmoThe authors surely sphere, they slowly make their way to the changed the course of history. Scientists have been warning for decould not have pre- upper levels of the stratosphere, where they cades of the potential we humans have to are broken down by ultraviolet sunlight. dicted the magnitude The freed chlorine atoms then latch onto modify nature's balance. As it speciﬁcally relates to the mobile air conditioning world, of their work. and destroy ozone molecules by breaking this began with a simple research paper deoff one of their oxygen atoms. Here's what scribing a theory of how CFCs can destroy the chemical equations look like: stratospheric ozone. It was ﬁrst published June 28, 1974 in NaDichlorodiﬂuoromethane (R-12), when exposed to ultraviolet ture, a scientiﬁc journal. Entitled "Stratospheric sink for chloro- radiation: CF2Cl2 → CF2Cl + Cl Chlorine then combines with ozone: Cl + O3 → ClO + O2 In the years immediately following publication, both Rowland and Molina strongly voiced their ﬁndings and concerns to policy makers and to other scientists in an effort to increase awareness. This eventually led to the Montreal Protocol in 1987, the US Clean Air Act of 1990, and the CFC-12 Production Ban of The MOST COMPLETE Tube & Hose Fabrication 1995. But let's also not forget another milestone in that time peSystem available ANYWHERE! riod; MACS was formed in 1981, and can in some ways also root Duplicate Virtually ANY Tube or Hose Assembly its existence in the publication of this document. Several MACS METRIC or AMERICAN. charter members had leading roles to play, and while some of CRIMP ALL types & brands of fittings them have passed on, their memories and the work they did is using our Universal Crimper. not forgotten. Rebuild A/C & power steering hoses Today we've moved on to a different climate debate, one in using our exclusive reclaiming ferrules. which global warming is the key issue, and where the automotive Custom build A/C & power steering industry is doing everything it can to reduce emissions and meet fittings. targets for efﬁciency. Cars are becoming smaller, air conditioning BEND & form metal tubing from 3/16 systems are becoming tighter and leaking less, and we're experito 1-1/4 inches. menting with lower GWP refrigerants. We still don't know where Convert standard to metric tubing using it's all going to end up, but every once in a while, it's good to look our up swage & down swage system. back at where it all started. Make extreme & tight transition bends. " FORM flares of all types including O-ring beads. O-ring beads in aluminum & steel tubing Up swage tubing to create braze joints. TUBES N' HOSES INTERNATIONAL Phone: 972-923-0766 E-mail: sales@tubesnhoses.com Website: www.tubesnhoses.com 34 ACTION * July/August 2014 Reader Reply Author's Note: Here's a link and a QR code to the original Nature document. Take time to read it, and let me know what you think! http://goo.gl/ghoMze Steve Schaeber Manager of Service Training You can reach Steve at Steve@macsw.org http://www.tubesnhoses.com http://goo.gl/ghoMze https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tubes-n-Hoses-International/581202845224480 http://www.tubesnhoses.com http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS/Publications/ACtion_Reader_Reply/MACS/Publications/ACTION/ACtion_Reader_Reply.aspx?hkey=ac24bddb-c045-442a-813c-cbf05f88ac4d

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - July/August 2014

Fire truck A/C
The air we breathe
Outlook
Freeze Frame
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Service Port
Last Watch
Member Profile
By the Numbers
Cooling Corner
Industry News
Association News
New Products

ACtion Magazine - July/August 2014