Bridging the Gap between Science and Solutions
Professor Ole John Nielsen, from the Department of Chemistry of Copenhagen University, became one of the pioneers, who acted upon the threatening “hole in the ozone layer” during the 1980s.
By reviewing previous years of calculations, scientists discovered that the ozone layer was becoming thinner year by year. When the Montreal Protocol came into effect in 1987, it committed certain countries to limit their emission of ozone-depleting gases, such as CFCs. CFCs were commonly used in Aerosol spray-cans and refrigeration units.
Professor Ole John Nielsen was a member of the group which received the Henry Ford Technology Award in 1996 for showing that HFC-134a was an environmentally acceptable alternative to CFC-12 as a refrigerant.
If the use of CFCs had continued, the current emissions would have been equal to an additional 11 Gigatons CO2 annually. Scientists now state that the prevention of CFCs emissions has prevented the global temperature from rising by one degree Celsius by 2050. The global warming potential of CFC-12 is 10900, whereas the global warming potential for HFC-134a is 1300. However, today, the HFCs are slowly phased out due to climate concern.
We are the beneficiaries of the Montreal Protocol, and thankful to the scientist who took action, as the hole in the ozone layer no longer is a devastating threat to life on earth.
To prevent nonreversible damage, to the world we live in, we must listen to the pioneers who prohibited us from tarnishing the ozone layer, years before climate talk was trendy.
We must work towards bridging the existing gap between the scientific community and the corporate world, and in 2016, INFUSER received the Copenhagen Business Award for doing precisely that.
When working with a subject such as air pollution, it is crucial that the progress is substantial and based on actual data. INFUSER has created ground-breaking tangible solutions, which removes dangerous pollutants from the air we all breathe. Not only do we have the pleasure of using professor Ole John Nielsen as a consultant on our calculations, thanks to professor Ole John Nielsen, the INFUSER team also includes highly skilled students of his, pushing us to ensure, that everything we state, is scientifically possible.
This collaboration is what feeds INFUSERS’ vision, and every day we work hard to ensure that we always provide what we claim.
Read the article about the Montreal Protocol here (In Danish)