Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) are a family of perfluorinated fluids used mainly in industrial applications. Lower molecular weight commercial PFPE fractions have boiling points ranging between 55 and 270 degrees C, and have the potential to escape into the atmosphere. To improve our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry of PFPEs, a distilled fraction of a commercial mixture containing perflu...

For a successful outcome at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December, viable policy paths for effective climate change mitigation need to be provided. In addition, adaptation is unavoidable. One key point is the integration of agriculture (accounting for 10-12% of global emissions, Smith et al. 2007) in a post-2012 agreement. Its main potential lies in its significant capacity to sequester CO2 in soils...

Hydrofluorocarbons, currently used as refrigerants in air-conditioning systems, are potent greenhouse gases, and their contribution to climate change is projected to increase. Future use of the hydrofluorocarbons will be phased down and, thus replacement fluids must be found. Here we show that only a few pure fluids possess the combination of chemical, environmental, thermodynamic, and safety p...

Typhoons (tropical cyclones) severely impact the half-billion population of the Asian Pacific. Intriguingly, during the recent decade, typhoon destructive potential (Power Dissipation Index, PDI) has decreased considerably (by ∼ 35%). This decrease, paradoxically, has occurred despite the increase in typhoon intensity and ocean warming. Using the method proposed by Emanuel (in 2007), we show th...

Nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane are the main biogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) contributing to the global warming potential (GWP) of agro-ecosystems. Evaluating the impact of agriculture on climate thus requires a capacity to predict the net exchanges of these gases in an integrated manner, as related to environmental conditions 5 and crop management. Here, we used two year-round data s...

BACKGROUND Inhaled anesthetics are recognized greenhouse gases. Calculating their relative impact during common clinical usage will allow comparison to each other and to carbon dioxide emissions in general. METHODS We determined infrared absorption cross-sections for sevoflurane and isoflurane. Twenty-year global warming potential (GWP(20)) values for desflurane, sevoflurane, and isoflurane w...

this study aimed to evaluate the environmental consequences of kiwifruit production in guilan province of iran by the life cycle assessment (lca) methodology during growing season of 2011-2012. data were obtained from 84 kiwifruit producers using a face to face questionnaire method. for this purpose, a functional unit equal to one ton kiwifruit was assumed based on iso 14040 method. impacts of ...

Air conditioning refrigerant R134a has value of global warming potential (GWP) 1300, which is much higher than MAC Directive (GWP below 150) passed in July 2006. This prompted a search for alternative refrigerant with GWP value less than 150. R1234yf is a new refrigerant which has lower GWP value of 4. Effect of blower speed has been compared and flammability issue of R1234yf has been addre...