Insert Catchy Title Here

I have a great love for the subject of chemistry. I love a subject that is black and white – the reactants react or they don’t. Somehow, it is comforting that, in a world filled with shades of grey, there is still black and white. For example, it is a fact that ozone is produced faster than it decomposes. It is a fact that there is a 25,000,000 km² hole in the Ozone Layer. It is a fact that the US has spewed out millions of liters of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) since 1920. It is a fact that CFCs harm the atmosphere by causing ozone to decompose.

Of course, there are other things that aren’t so black and white in science. Does ozone depletion lead to global warming? Do carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions really cause global warming? Does global warming exist? While I believe that ozone depletion is a real problem and while I believe that carbon dioxide emissions aren’t great for the atmosphere, I do not believe in global warming.

And I tell you all this so I can tell you a completely different, and seemingly unrelated story.

The year is 1920 and an engineer-by-training is sitting in his office thinking of ways to make the world a better place. His first major problem is engine knock, but he fixed that with tetra ethyl lead addatives. But Thomas Midgley has bigger fish to fry on this day. The problem? Exploding refridgerators.

Yes - I said it. Exploding refridgerators. You see, as of 1920, very very dangerous (i.e., highly explosive) chemicals were being used to keep the fridge cold. People went home everyday and were simply relieved that their food was cold and their house hadn't exploded. Lots of people were killed by exploding refridgerators (I bet St. Matthew had a field day with some peoples "Why are you in heaven today?" answers).

So here we've got Mr. Midgley working on a solution to exploding refridgerators - the birth of fluorotrichloromethane (CFCl₃, or Freon-11). The gas is completely inert. He did his homework, it seemed, and tested it under a series of different conditions and discovered that haloalkanes had hundreds of uses - from heat pumps to refridgerants, from fire extinguishers to aerosol cans. The gas was inert and could thus be inhaled with no harm. The gas didn't combust. It didn't do ANYTHING!

Fast forward to 1973 where the average American would purchase 14 aerosol cans a year.

Fast forward to 2006 where the hole in the Ozone layer peaked with a maxium area of 27,000,000 km².

Keep in mind that it takes an average of 15 years for one molecule of Freon to make it to the Ozone layer. Each and every day we are feeling the effects of our actions in 1993. And in 25 days, we'll be feeling the effects of our actions in 1994.

And I tell you all of this because I'm brainstorming and this is helping and I'm using you all as a giant black board because you're going to provide me with thoughts, views, and information that I lack now. :-P