This St. Patrick’s Day weekend there will be green all around us, as many don the holidays’ official color. At BelRed, we’re thinking about how to keep our community and planet surrounded by green year-round.
The ozone layer needs our help. R22, commonly known as Freon, is a refrigerant that is still used in many existing air conditioners and refrigeration equipment, and it was banned primarily because of its harmful effect on the ozone layer.
Like all hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the R22 gas is an ozone-depleting substance which reacts with the ozone layer once it’s released, causing significant damage. Over time this damage has allowed increasing levels of UV radiation to reach the earth’s surface, which has resulted in higher temperatures. Higher temperatures and radiation levels lead to whole slew of health concerns including sunburn, skin cancer, and increases in cataracts.
It’s not just our individual health and well-being that’s being affected either. Excess UV radiation brings a whole host of environmental problems with it too – entire ecosystems are being destroyed due to rises in temperature and many countries are experiencing the effects through demolished crop yields.
Being green by phasing out R-22 will protect both your wallet and the planet in the long run. BelRed is an environmentally friendly HVAC company with green energy solutions, and we’re here to help you save energy and money on home comfort. Contact BelRed today to learn how to phase out R22 and what we can do to help.
