Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Climate change: Electrical industry's 'dirty
secret' boosts warming
The more renewable energy is generated and
transmitted, the more harmful gas is emitted, according to BBC. To prevent
short circuits and accidents, sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6, is widely used as
insulation material in electrical installations, such as power stations, wind
turbines and electrical substations. Unfortunately, SF6 has the highest level
of global warming potential, over 20,000 times more warming than carbon dioxide.
So, to drive more electric cars, more warming gas is being emitted to power
them. In fact, the annual SF6 emissions in 28 EU states combined are estimated
to be about the same amount of CO2 emissions from an additional 1.3 million cars. And
to make the situation worse, the use of this harmful and warming substance is
increasing as more electricity is demanded to drive more cars on the road.
It sounds like Freon, nonflammable gasses or
liquids that had been widely used in refrigerators and air conditioners until
it was banned in 1987 because it had depleted ozone layers.
When industries are reluctant to change their
practices, it is the government bodies that need to take actions to prohibit
the use of harmful substances.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about this
side effect of cleaner energies.
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