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2006-09-12 11:31:15 · 6 answers · asked by KBReddy 1 in Environment

6 answers

CFC's are responsible for the breakdown of the ozone layer. A Chloroflorocarbon is an excellent catalyst for breaking O3 (ozone) into O2. In the reaction, the CFC molecule is unchanged (like all catalysts) so a single CFC molecule can break down thousands of ozone molecules. That is why they have been banned.

2006-09-12 11:37:00 · answer #1 · answered by bordag 3 · 1 0

Hi

Usually when people think about CFCs they make the connection with Ozone and the destruction of the ozone layer - the "hole in the ozone" that everyone was talking abut a few years ago. That was a really serious concern, so many countries agreed to stop using CFCs. There is still some worry about it, but not as much as before.

BUT, CFCs are also a part of the completely separate Global Warming problem because like carbon dioxide and methane, CFCs are a "greenhouse gas." That is, they interfere with the process of heat leaving the earth. These chemicals slow down the heat that is radiating off the earth into space. When the heat loss is slowed down, then more heat stays on the earth and the planet heats up. This heating up has NOTHING to do with destruction of the ozone layer. It is two completely separate things.

Since there is way more carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere than CFCs, when we talk about the Global Warming problem, we usually dont bother to talk about how CFCs make it worse.

So, there you go!

2006-09-12 16:06:29 · answer #2 · answered by matt 7 · 1 0

CFCs are considered to be indirectly responsible for global warming, rather than having a direct cause in global warming. The biggest issue with CFCs deals primarily with the ozone layer, whereby CFCs (namely chlorine) reacts with O3, which makes up the ozone layer in the stratosphere. As the reaction occurs, a hole is created in the stratosphere, allowing more of the harmful UV radiation from the sun through to reach the earth's surface. The reason the ozone holes are the biggest by the poles is due to the extremely cold stratospheric temperatures. However, the use of CFCs has been banned or restricted in most countries, and the holes in the ozone have been found to be getting smaller in recent years.

In relation to global warming, CFCs are only considered to be greenhouse gases, which has been attributed to global warming. Carbon dioxide and methane are bigger concerns in relation to global warming than CFCs are, and is more commonly noted as greenhouse warming. The build up of these gases, such as carbon dioxide which is produced by burning fossil fuel, contribute to the warming of the earth much in the same way glass of a greenhouse keeps the interior temperature warm. The greenhouse gas allows for the sun's waves and/or radiation through, with the ozone layer partially reflecting some of the sun's rays back out into space. The waves/radiation that gets through goes to the earth's surface, where some heat is absorbed, while some heat is reflected back up into the atmosphere into space. However, as the greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, the escaping heat is reflected back towards to the earth, preventing the release of some heat; subsequently, the earth heats up.

2006-09-12 18:03:14 · answer #3 · answered by Hidden 4 · 0 0

Your earth is warming because your star is a variable star. The sun is currently emitting about 5% more energy than it did a few years ago.

The ice caps on Mars are melting and there are no CFC's there!

It is true that CFC's (Chlorinated Flouro Carbons) are reacting with the ozone layer, but not much. They also DO contribute a very small amount to the so called Greenhouse effect, but the Sun is obviously the bigger effector. Look at historical records of Sunspot activity!

2006-09-12 17:18:17 · answer #4 · answered by Bernard B 3 · 0 1

U need to do more study,the CFC supposedly eat holes in thew ozone layer at exactly each year. so u think that all the CFC get together and make a mad dash for the south pole to eat up our ozone layer over the south pole .WRONG
The hole in the ozone layer is cause by the solar winds and the magnetic field. and the tilt of the earth gets the angle right for the particle stream to blow a hole in the ozone layer. This is so high that man cant do anything to do with it. The beta particles put a negative charge on the north pole and the alfa particles go to the south pole and put a positive charge there. this allows very high currents to flow in the upper atmosphere and this makes the ionized area that is called the Van Allan belt.

2006-09-12 12:51:41 · answer #5 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0 1

ie, they ain't

UPDATE: Look folks. We know enough CFC's were put in the atmosphere to affect the ozone layer's efficiency in screening UV. The fact CFC's are also opaque to infrared radiation does NOT mean they make any tangible contribution to global warming. The ratio of CO2 to CFC is about a gazillion to 1, so any effect would be trivial. However, if the additional UV now making it to the surface can be shown to contribute, that's a different and more valid mechanism. I have not heard of it though.

2006-09-12 11:46:45 · answer #6 · answered by SAN 5 · 1 1

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