So, Canned Air

[forsyth]

If you're reading this, that means you're on a computer, which means the chances are you've used or have a bottle of "canned air" to clean dust off the keyboard or other parts of the computer.

And the chances are, your little bottle of air contains either HFC-134a or HFC-152, rather than being something like just compressed air. The problem with those refrigerants is simple. HFC-134a is about 1400 times better at trapping solar radiation than carbon dioxide. HFC-152 is ten times better than HFC-134, but that's still 140 times worse than carbon dioxide. This is measured by their Global Warming Potential. HFC-134a is also the standard replacement for CFCs in car air conditioners these days too.

But that little bottle of "air", all 10 ounces of it, has the same effect as about 875 pounds of CO2. One gallon of gas makes about 20 pounds of CO2. So that little can to blow dust off things has the same effect as burning almost 44 gallons of gas. That's the same as driving a car with 30 MPG over 1300 miles.

Why aren't the cans of compressed air just cans of compressed air? (See more at Worldchanging.)

Comments

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

I generally don't use that crap. You can get little electric blowers for the same purpose. Way lower impact.

[leticia.livejournal.com]

Some cans of air claim that they're free of such nasties.

Though you still have to account for the wasted packaging at the big dump in the sky.