Who cares? You might ask. All I care about: Is it cold? Well, the EPA for one cares and generally we do care when it comes to the atmosphere and what we are breathing. Trust me I’m the last one to want more regulation in our industry but living in the west this summer has made us crucially aware of the air we breathe due to the smoke from all the wildfires. HFC’s are colorless and more or less odorless so just because we can’t see and smell them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. In the early 1990’s the EPA banned the use of R-12 in new motor vehicles and began the phase in of R-134a, a potentially less ozone depleting substance. 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane or R-134a has been atmospherically modeled for its impact on depleting ozone and as a contributor to global warming. Research suggests that over the past 10 years the concentration of R-134a has increased significantly in the earth’s atmosphere, with a recent study revealing a doubling in atmospheric concentration between 2001 and 2004. It has insignificant ozone depletion potential, significant global warming potential and negligible acidification potential (acid rain). Because of its high GWP, R-134a has been banned from use in the European Union, starting with cars in 2011 and phasing out completely by 2017. Here in the US the EPA Bans HFC-134a Refrigerant in Model Year 2021 Vehicles – The EPA is listing HFC-134a as unacceptable for newly manufactured light-duty motor vehicles beginning in Model Year (MY) 2021 except as allowed under a narrowed use limit for use in newly manufactured light-duty vehicles destined for use in countries that do not have infrastructure in place for servicing with other acceptable refrigerants.  The new refrigerant is known as HFO-1234yf is the first in a new class of refrigerants acquiring a global warming potential (GWP) rating 335 times less than that of R-134a. As of this writing most auto manufacturers have begun phasing in of HFO-1234yf in new model vehicles.

Perhaps the next 10 yr study will reveal that the newest refrigerant is having a negative impact as well but until then your automotive service provider will be upgrading to new equipment to service your vehicles. I have listed a link for further research to the EPA website if you have unanswered questions

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/classtwo.html