POST 01004E : REFRIGERANT GASES

POST 01004E : REFRIGERANT GASES Follow-up on Posts 00993E and 00999E 3 November 2006 ________________________________ The following contribution comes from Stephen Atwood (mailto:[email protected]) UNICEF Regional Advisor for East Asia and the Pacific ________________________________ Dear Soren and A.L. Bhuyan, I don't know if you recall but 15 years ago when India was going through its change-over from the CFC refrigerant to a non-CFC, the three of us discussed the global warming effects of the R134a and compared it to the R600a (HC) refrigerant that would neither deplete ozone levels nor contribute to global warming. I remember pushing for the R600a at the time because we were afraid that this day would come when there would be yet another change-over with all of the cost and labour that this will involve. Then, we were told by some that R600a was highly inflammable and too dangerous, and by others that it was no more dangerous than using a cigarette lighter. Bhuyan pointed out at the time that the R600a would have been an easier transition than the R134a and cost a lot less to the government than the considerably more expensive R134a, including the expense of retrofitting hundreds of refrigerators in the cold chain. I also remember at the time wondering if there were other business agendas being played out for the choice of the R134a. It's not as if we're just discovering the environmental difference between R134a and R600a – we've known it for years. Could either of you or anyone else shed some light on the story and add some understanding as to why we're just getting around to this 15 years later? Best regards, Steve Dr. Stephen J. Atwood, Regional Advisor, Health and Nutrition, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok, Thailand ______________________________________________________________________________ All members of the TechNet21 e-Forum are invited to send comments on any posting or to use the forum to raise a new discussion or request technical information in relation to immunization services. The comments made in this forum are the sole responsibility of the writers and do not in any way mean that they are endorsed by any of the organizations and agencies to which the authors may belong. ______________________________________________________________________________ Visit the TECHNET21 Website at http://www.technet21.org You will find instructions to subscribe, a direct access to archives, links to reference documents and other features. ______________________________________________________________________________ To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to : mailto:[email protected] Leave the subject area BLANK In the message body, write unsubscribe TECHNET21E ______________________________________________________________________________ The World Health Organization and UNICEF support TechNet21. The TechNet21 e-Forum is a communication/information tool for generation of ideas on how to improve immunization services. It is moderated by Claude Letarte and is hosted in cooperation with the Centre de coopération internationale en santé et développement, Québec, Canada (http://www.ccisd.org) ______________________________________________________________________________