CFCs Can Live in the Atmosphere for 140 Years

In 1930, Thomas Midgley Jr. invented chlorofluorocarbons, marketed as Freon, to replace dangerous refrigerants like ammonia and sulfur dioxide that could kill families in their sleep. To prove CFCs were safe, Midgley inhaled a lungful and blew out a candle. The chemicals became ubiquitous in refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol spray cans. But decades later, scientists discovered CFCs were destroying the Earths ozone layer, which protects all life from deadly UV radiation. Even worse, CFCs are super greenhouse gases that can persist in the atmosphere for up to 140 years, continuing to damage the climate long after being released.