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    Back to Design and Architecture

    Design and Architecture

    Changing the rules for HFC's

    Americans have the biggest fridges in the world . Not only that, the U.S. outstrips the rest of the world in the use of air-conditioning. Now developing countries like India and China are catching up. But there is an environmental cost.

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    By Frances Anderton • Oct 18, 2016 • 1 min read

    Americans have the biggest fridges in the world. Not only that, the U.S. outstrips the rest of the world in the use of air-conditioning. Now developing countries like India and China are catching up. But there is an environmental cost. Last week, negotiators for nearly 200 countries agreed to limit the use of HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, the greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Do we need to reign in our addiction to keep things chill? Or is there a clean alternative to HFCs?

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    The problem with A/C, Neon City, Jewish LA
    1. 0:30Changing the rules for HFC'sYou’re reading this
    2. 9:37When LA was lit with neon
    3. 17:55Jews and the development of Los Angeles
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • KCRW placeholder

      KCRW Staff

      KCRW Staff

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Avishay Artsy

      Producer, DnA: Design and Architecture

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jonathan Rees

      Colorado State University, Pueblo

      Culture

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    The problem with A/C, Neon City, Jewish LA
    1. 0:30Changing the rules for HFC'sYou’re reading this
    2. 9:37When LA was lit with neon
    3. 17:55Jews and the development of Los Angeles
    Back to Design and Architecture