Activity Overview: Air conditioning depends on a pressurized system of fluid repeatedly evaporating and condensing within a closed system in order to absorb heat from the air inside your space. In the past, air conditioners used water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide. However, in order to adapt to higher demand for indoor cooling, companies turned to different chemical compounds and synthetic fluids in order to achieve better cooling efficiency.
Synthetic refrigerants improve the cooling capacity of air conditioning systems and require less energy to cool the air. However, when released from the system, these fluids have serious environmental effects.
Chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorcarbons (HCFCs) contribute to ozone depletion. Hydroflurorcarbons (HFCs) do not interact with ozone but have an elevated global warming potential (GWP). International efforts have targeted each class of substances for global phase out, with serious effects, both positive and negative, for many different economies.
Use the information presented here and the article linked here to develop a cognitive link between changes in the global refrigerant market and the economy in Texas.
Summary: The Chemours Company opened a new factory in Ingleside, outside Corpus Christi, Texas, in February 2019. According to company information, the company invested over $300 million to complete the facility, which now employs 250 full-time employees and an additional 100 contractors. The operations of this plant triple global capacity of the more environmentally friendly refrigerant, which has no ozone depletion potential and a significantly lower global warming potential than other common refrigerants.
The concept map for this cognitive leap is as follows: