WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced plans to introduce the first bipartisan climate bill of 2014, calling for immediate action on super greenhouse gases, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are hundreds to thousands of times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide.
The Super Pollutants Act of 2014 tackles Short Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs), including HFCs, which have the shortest atmospheric lifespans of all greenhouse gases, but contribute to nearly half of all global warming. By reducing these “super gases,” the United States could cut the rate of sea level rise by 25 percent, prevent over 2 million premature deaths each year, and avoid over 30 million tons of crop losses annually.
“Following the one year anniversary of the president’s Climate Action Plan, the people of the United States are looking for Congress to do more to tackle these super pollutants,” said Danielle Gagne, HFC and climate policy analyst for the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). “Swift action is imperative to avoid the equivalent emissions of approximately 42 billion cars.”
HFCs are man-made chemicals primarily used in refrigeration, air-conditioning, and foam blowing. The Super Pollutants Act looks to reduce HFC emissions in the United States by facilitating the introduction of new climate-friendly alternatives, requiring proper maintenance on existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that leak HFCs, and banning the use of the most severe climate-damaging HFCs.
“Short-lived climate pollutants are the problem too few people are talking about, but are doing some of the worst damage to the atmosphere,” said Senator Murphy. “As we work to combat threats to our climate, we can’t leave short-lived pollutants out of the equation. Our bill will take these dangerous pollutants head on by making smarter use of tools already at our disposal here in the U.S. This is a bipartisan proposal to address a global threat, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help us reduce these super pollutants.”
The bill is also a platform for increasing international attention on the need to phase out HFCs.
“EIA has been very active in pushing the Montreal Protocol phase out HFCs, and this bill shows that there is bipartisan support for the U.S. to lead that effort and prevent uncontrolled climate change,” said Mark W. Roberts, Senior Counsel and International Policy Advisor for EIA. “We applaud this bipartisan action to prevent more global warming and urge its immediate passage.”
The Montreal Protocol is hailed as the most successful international environmental treaty, having successfully eliminated 95 percent of ozone depleting substances (ODS). However, rising HFC emissions have the potential to negate the positive climate benefit of the ODS phase out, unless immediate action is taken.
EIA commends the Super Pollutants Act for proposing an inter-agency task force to review current U.S. policies and Federal Government practices in an effort to identify the best way forward to prepare the United States for the adverse effects of climate change.
Contact:
Maggie Dewane, Press Officer, EIA, 202-483-6621, mdewane@eia-global.org