With the impending global warming threats, people are envisioning ways to remedy the pandemonium...

New York Times reports:

The European Union is serious about reining in the release of gases that contribute to global warming. As of Jan. 1, 2011, air-conditioning systems for all new European-made vehicles must begin the switch to a refrigerant other than the current formulation, known as R134a.

Air-conditioning makes use of the cooling effect that occurs when a gas is allowed to suddenly expand, familiar to some from the barroom trick of cooling drinks with a blast of carbon dioxide from a fire extinguisher. This effect can be prolonged using a suitable refrigerant gas, so long as the power to pump it around in a loop of compressors and radiators is maintained.

In an interesting twist, the leading alternative refrigerant being considered by European automakers is carbon dioxide. But it’s hard to make real sense of the blizzard of reports on refrigerants and their performance. The German automakers’ association has endorsed carbon dioxide, which not only has the baseline warming number of 1 but is also at least 20% more energy-efficient than the best systems using R134a, supporters say.

The R152a alternative represents a 90% reduction of global warming potential compared with R134a. In addition, it is promoted as a direct replacement for R134a, requiring minimal mechanical changes to the air-conditioner.

So what's the problem?

The report divulged that a number of refrigerant are incompatible with the lubricants used in air-conditioning compressors, and CO2 systems operate at pressures 5 times that of the current systems hence; heavy-duty hardware is a must.

Behr America Vice President Joerg Schernikau said his company would most likely develop both European and American refrigerants. “That’s what we assume right now,” he said, noting that Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen had picked CO2.