Halon dumps: a data point

From: Sipke de Wal <sipke_at_wxs.nl>
Date: Thu Sep 14 14:23:25 2000

I've read an article recently that discribed the discovery
of a new substance that has been found to damage the
ozone layer above the polar regions. I don't know the
exact name of the stuff but the gest of the article was
that it was 1600 times more potent in destroying ozone
than the normal chlorine catalytic effect (the chlorine
ions are released from the CFC's, and presumably the
Halons as well. A single catalyc molecule becomes
the catalyst in destroying a large amount of ozone
molecules) The new stuff was suspected to be a
"breakdown" product of SF2 which is also released
by modern industrial processes.

We may have been banning the wrong stuff after all.
But it's good to be on the safe side for now since
we only got ONE ozonelayer.

Sipke de Wal

----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: Halon dumps: a data point


> At 11:44 PM 9/13/00 -0400, you wrote:
> > Have the patents that cover Halon expired? I've heard that Freon (which
> >used to be covered by patents) isn't nearly as dangerous as it's made out to
> >be, and that the recent legislation to have it banned came about just after
> >the patents expired (and thus the major chemical companies would actually
> >face competition).
>
> It isn't patents, it is the CFC treaty (Osaks?) that bans the production
> (first) and then use (second) of CFCs based on their alleged, but unproven,
> impact on the ozone layer surrounding the earth. Note that I do not dispute
> that there is a gap in the ozone layer around the earth, only that no one
> has yet given anything more than conjecture on why it exists, and since we
> don't have historical data on its existence (or lack thereof) we don't yet
> have anyway of proving or disproving said conjectures, but something that
> _was_ a provable way of saving _actual human lives_ was banned because of
> it. </soapbox>
>
> --Chuck
>
>
Received on Thu Sep 14 2000 - 14:23:25 BST