R-12, How can it be harmful to the Ozone?

Question

If r-12 is heavier then air, and it is known to attack the Ozone layer that is Very high in the atmosphere, how can R-12 be harmful to the Ozone? It's heavier then air and absorbs in to the ground. I'm just a little confused as to their argument that it's harmful to the Ozone when it never reaches the Ozone to begin with. Anyone else know?

Answer 1

The chlorofluorocarbons in freon are much lighter than air and rise to the ozone layer. They're so destructive because the molecules latch onto an ozone molecule and destroy it, then separate and go onto the next ozone molecule. So a little bit of CFC can do a tremendous amount of harm.

Answer 2

While R-12 does damage ozone, the incredible small amounts released could in no way damage the earth's atmosphere any more than natural causes.
Even though R-12 is heavier than air and will remain at ground level and could never harm the ozone layer, that wasn't important to those making the big decisions. It took very little convincing re: R-12, thus it was raised 2000 percent. It has been proven that many other factors determine the conditon of the ozone. Things like volcano eruptions and cows cause damage to ozone layer. It has been proven that cows release more gases that deplete the ozone than R-12 could ever accomplish. Not that we will do away with cows, but a good example of the forces of nature. Next inhalers. You are right to question their argument when it never reaches the Ozone to begin with. The correct educational decisions and not the emotional ones needs to be the one making the decisions.

Answer 3

I have asked the same question. I think a lot of this crap is just that, crap. When I made a similar comment I was told I was stupid and hadn't I heard of wind. Well of course, it is the selective wind that only blows Freon up and doesn't mix the ozone with the rest of the atmosphere. That's the wind I need to learn about. In my humble opinion some motor-mouth's brother-in-law has yet another replacement for Freon; a replacement that will cost more and work less effectively. I swear to God I have stopped believing ANYONE about all the damn calamities ready to crush mankind. I saw an advertisement for a show. It asked if we were prepared for disasters that will totally destroy the Earth. Well I am, I have a can of beans and a bottle of water. Just how would that moron suggest we prepare for the total destruction of the planet? More doom and gloom. Turn the crap off and the people that are spewing it as well...

Do you recall the global cooling scare of the 70’s? That’s right, global cooling and if we didn’t crush all our cars and go backs to horses and buggies we would all be frozen solid by the early 80's. Well who froze???

Then in the 80's we had holes in the ozone and unless we quit launching the shuttle we would all be dead of skin cancer by 2000.

Now some lug nut that used to hold Clinton's coat, has invented the Internet and wants us to quit driving cars again. The same cars that were causing global cooling are now causing global warming.

As far as I am concerned they can all sit on a fence post and spin. I have quit listening to them completely. And anyone that does listen to them will certainly get exactly what they deserve; a ring through their nose and brisk walk down the path.

My brother says common sense is not common. Well sir, I have found a refreshing dose of common sense in your question. When a scientist tells you something, find one that is telling you the opposite. Put them together and watch the sparks fly. When one wins, that’s the one to ignore. Oh yeah, ignore the looser also.

Answer 4

but it does reach the atmosphere,only the heavier part of it falls to the ground the by products used in it to make it cool better rises to the sky,this is that part that harms the atmosphere,it wont burn off kind of like vapors more or less,it would take a lot of it to damage the atmosphere,but just think of all the junk yards that use to release this in to the atmosphere all the time,enough of it will harm it,we need all the oxygen we can get not pollution,good luck.PS we did a feature story on this once you should have seen some of the answers ,we had scientist giving exact numbers on this ,they really take it serious.we started something we couldn't end when we ask for proof of this.they provided it.

Answer 5

as it gets diluted it can rise, the chlorine(R-12 is dichlorodiflouromethane, CCL2F2) breaks away and combines to ozone(O3) and creates a different chemical, a greenhouse gas

Answer 6

It has NEVER been proven that R12 harms the ozone. It's only been done on computer models.