SMUGGLING AND BLACK MARKET TRADING OF CFC'S
Editor’s Note: In her Organic Chemistry class, Eve Berrie (‘18) looked at the negative effects of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the environment.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are organic gaseous compounds that are used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, and aerosol propellants, but are also found to be a major cause of ozone depletion. They were seen as the “perfect refrigerants” in the 1930s because they had all the requirements of a refrigerant while also being stable, nonflammable, nontoxic, inexpensive, and nearly odorless. Although, in 1987, many developed countries signed the Montreal Protocol because it had been discovered that the CFC molecule was in fact harming the ozone layer, a “shield” of O3 molecules that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. The chlorine atoms from the CFCs act as a catalyst and cause the breaking down of the ozone to happen at a faster rate. The chlorine also isn’t consumed, meaning it acts as a catalyst many times before it’s deactivated. When people noticed a “hole” in the ozone layer above the South Pole, they began to realize how serious, and global, this problem had become. Unfortunately, 27 years after the protocol, CFC use continues as it is cheap and uses less energy than its alternatives.
The smuggling and black market trading of CFCs continues to be an issue, despite evidence of its negative impacts on the environment. The Montreal Treaty stated that developed countries should have completely phased out CFCs by 1996. Today, the U.S. doesn’t allow the making or importing of CFCs, but it does allow the sale or use of CFCs made before 1996. [1] This loophole has led to a growing global black market. By using “recycled” CFCs, smugglers are able to pass them through repair shops, specifically within the automobile business. Using a CFC alternative for a car’s air-conditioning can cost up to 15 times the price of using CFCs. This major price gaps creates a market that is said to be larger, and maybe even more damaging, than the illegal gun trade. [2] A major problem is the ease with which CFCs can be smuggled. Alternatives are pricey, and countries such as Russia have even refused to halt their production of the dangerous compounds. More than half of the CFCs produced there entered the European Union illegally in 1996, making Russia a main source of CFC trade. [2] Despite the large black market, there are many efforts to reduce the use of the chemical and to use alternatives.
International regulation efforts around CFCs and use of their alternatives are becoming more prominent. Since the Montreal Protocol in 1987, there have been multiple amendments throughout various developed countries to further phase out CFCs as well as other “controlled substances” (i.e. HCFCs, methyl bromide, and bromochloromethane). In order to implement the protocol, agencies within the U.S. work with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Different assessment panels are dedicated to spreading information about the alternative technologies/compounds that are used, making it possible to completely phase out ozone depleting substances. [3] The smuggling or possession of illegal CFCs within the U.S. can lead to severe penalties as it is breaking the law. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, works to investigate subjects of CFC smuggling and have convicted many of buying or selling the illegal compound over the last couple decades. [4] While the smuggling and black market of CFCs is still a prominent global issue, viable alternatives for the compound are continually being produced as environmentalists work to phase out the destructive chemical compound.
Works Cited
1. "CFC Smuggling (CFCTRADE Case)." CFC Illegal Trade. N.p., 6 May 1996. Web. 26
Feb. 2017. <http://www1.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/cfctrade.htm>.
2. Arnst, Catherine. "The Black Market Vs. The Ozone." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 07
July 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1997-07-06/the-black-market-vs-dot-the-ozone
3. "International Treaties and Cooperation." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 17
Jan. 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017. <https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-treaties-and-cooperation>.
4. "Ozone-Depleting Substances on the Black Market." EPA. Environmental Protection
Agency, 12 Dec. 2016. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
<https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/ozone-depleting-substances-black-
market>.
The smuggling and black market trading of CFCs continues to be an issue, despite evidence of its negative impacts on the environment. The Montreal Treaty stated that developed countries should have completely phased out CFCs by 1996. Today, the U.S. doesn’t allow the making or importing of CFCs, but it does allow the sale or use of CFCs made before 1996. [1] This loophole has led to a growing global black market. By using “recycled” CFCs, smugglers are able to pass them through repair shops, specifically within the automobile business. Using a CFC alternative for a car’s air-conditioning can cost up to 15 times the price of using CFCs. This major price gaps creates a market that is said to be larger, and maybe even more damaging, than the illegal gun trade. [2] A major problem is the ease with which CFCs can be smuggled. Alternatives are pricey, and countries such as Russia have even refused to halt their production of the dangerous compounds. More than half of the CFCs produced there entered the European Union illegally in 1996, making Russia a main source of CFC trade. [2] Despite the large black market, there are many efforts to reduce the use of the chemical and to use alternatives.
International regulation efforts around CFCs and use of their alternatives are becoming more prominent. Since the Montreal Protocol in 1987, there have been multiple amendments throughout various developed countries to further phase out CFCs as well as other “controlled substances” (i.e. HCFCs, methyl bromide, and bromochloromethane). In order to implement the protocol, agencies within the U.S. work with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Different assessment panels are dedicated to spreading information about the alternative technologies/compounds that are used, making it possible to completely phase out ozone depleting substances. [3] The smuggling or possession of illegal CFCs within the U.S. can lead to severe penalties as it is breaking the law. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, works to investigate subjects of CFC smuggling and have convicted many of buying or selling the illegal compound over the last couple decades. [4] While the smuggling and black market of CFCs is still a prominent global issue, viable alternatives for the compound are continually being produced as environmentalists work to phase out the destructive chemical compound.
Works Cited
1. "CFC Smuggling (CFCTRADE Case)." CFC Illegal Trade. N.p., 6 May 1996. Web. 26
Feb. 2017. <http://www1.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/cfctrade.htm>.
2. Arnst, Catherine. "The Black Market Vs. The Ozone." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 07
July 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1997-07-06/the-black-market-vs-dot-the-ozone
3. "International Treaties and Cooperation." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 17
Jan. 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017. <https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-treaties-and-cooperation>.
4. "Ozone-Depleting Substances on the Black Market." EPA. Environmental Protection
Agency, 12 Dec. 2016. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
<https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/ozone-depleting-substances-black-
market>.
