Deploy Alternative Refrigerants
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APSocial Studies, Chemistry
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Project Drawdown
What it is
- This article identifies alternative refrigerants as a highly recommended climate solution to reduce global warming and fight climate change.
- This resource includes an overview of the role refrigerants have played in climate change, potential solutions, and a more in-depth look at the effectiveness and availability of alternative refrigerants.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This article is a great way to learn about an important solution to climate change.
- This resource also provides ways individuals can contribute to the solution, organized by their role.
Prerequisites
- Students should have an understanding of the causes of climate change and a basic understanding of how climate projections and models are developed.
- Consider showing students this solutions explorer to see the rankings of solutions by scenario on the Drawdown website.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This article introduces international agreements such as the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Accord, which can be expanded upon for more advanced students.
- This resource can also be used in math classes during lessons about quantifying the impacts of certain industries and developing models.
- Other resources that quantify the impact of climate solutions include this article on plant-rich diets and this article on health and education.
From the scientist review
This resource presents a scenario analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions if current hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants are replaced with alternative refrigerants from 2020 to 2050. The work relies heavily on the literature, so at least a cursory review of the references cited will be necessary to understand the scenario analysis. This work does not consider indirect reductions of GHG emissions resulting from the increased efficiency of replacing HFCs with alternative refrigerants, so total CO2e emission reductions are likely to be greater than the results suggest. This resource is well sourced, provides an analysis guided by peer-reviewed literature and is suggested for teaching.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on drawdown.org
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
