Greenhouse Gasses Right In Front of Your Eyes

When most people think of greenhouse gasses, they think of carbon dioxide spewing out of the tail pipe of a truck, or the smoke stack outside a factory. Greenhouse gasses actually come in many forms from many sources, some of which you might not expect. For example, the computer screen you are looking at right now is probably a source of greenhouse gasses.

Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) is often used in the production of flat-panel displays, thin-film solar panels, and microcircuits. It has been used more frequently the last few years because it was believed to be less dangerous and pervasive than perfluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas. However, a team of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego discovered that this assumption was false in a study completed last year.

As it turns out, NF3 is actually 17,000 times more potent as a greenhouse gas and survives in the atmosphere five times longer than carbon dioxide. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol didn’t cover this gas because there was no way to accurately measure the amount of the gas in the atmosphere until last year's study, so the amount in the atmosphere was grossly underestimated. In fact, there is four times more NF3 in our atmosphere than was originally thought.

In a response to this study and the increased use of the gas in manufacturing, scientists have strongly recommended that NF3 be added to the list of regulated greenhouse gasses. This hasn't happened yet, but it does look like the Environmental Protection Agency is moving in the right direction. Last month, the EPA mandated that facilities that use NF3, as well as other greenhouse gasses, must begin collecting and reporting data on the emissions they release.

Until strict regulations are put in place, there are a number of ways you can help control the release of NF3 into the atmosphere. Make sure you recycle your used flat-screen television and LCD computer displays. Many companies like Apple and Panasonic offer free recycling of their used electronics (Apple even offers a discount on replacement iPods if you recycle your old one!).

Unfortunately, fewer companies in the US offer recycling for used solar panels, but that doesn't mean you should avoid buying them!Research your choices, and find a model that has a low energy payback time, the amount of time it takes the panel to produce more energy than was used to produce it. Most solar panels last 25 to 30 years, which is more than enough time to negate the effects of NF3 it contains.

E-waste and recycling is a big issue, and I’ll be talking more about it in a later post. Until then, comment here and tell us about your experiences recycling/disposing of TVs and LCD screens.