JMEEKER86 t1_j6t4nyb wrote on February 1, 2023 at 6:31 PM

Reply to comment by Huntguy in US Emissions of the World’s Most Potent Greenhouse Gas Are 56 Percent Higher Than EPA Estimates. Electric utilities are likely responsible for the nation’s higher than expected emissions of sulfur hexafluoride, a greenhouse gas 25,000 times worse for the climate than carbon dioxide. by Wagamaga

Yeah, it's basically clickbait trying to deflect from the real problems. It's like how nukes being far more powerful than guns doesn't mean much when more guns kill more people every single year than nukes ever have. Sure, one may be 25,000x more powerful, but there's way waaaaaay more than 25,000x difference in quantity.

Huntguy t1_j6t4z7n wrote on February 1, 2023 at 6:33 PM

It feels like this article was written by big oil.

“But look at this! It’s way worse than co2!”

[deleted] t1_j6tli1s wrote on February 1, 2023 at 8:14 PM

One of the big selling points of SF6 equipment has been that it's more compact size and higher electrical efficiency, actually results in lower global warming, because the CO2 savings from improved efficiency outweigh climate effects from escaping SF6.

The counterpoint is that unless properly maintained the equipment may develop unacceptable rates of leakage - and that this may be happening in a widespread fashion.

That SF6 is a serious problem is well known - in the 1997 Kyoto protocol, it was named as 1 of the 6 main greenhouse gases, and it is regulated by governments across the world because of this. Extensive research into alternatives has also been performed since that time.

That SF6 is so good is part of the problem - it has proved extremely difficult to find alternative gases which have similar performance, and which could be used in similar equipment. The last 2 or 3 years have seen some significant progress, with a number of potentially viable alternatives being named such as 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)propanenitrile which is approaching commerically ready. The alternatives are much better, but have the disadvantage of toxicity, significant GWP (but nowhere near as high as SF6), and as perfluoro-compounds are potentially "forever chemicals".