Trump administration removes restrictions on substance banned or restricted by 190 countries

The Trump administration is easing federal restrictions on hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, the powerful, polluting chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners.

The change could slow one of the country's biggest climate wins in cooling technology, even as officials argue it will help lower consumer costs.

The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will relax rules limiting the use of HFCs, chemicals that are often called "super pollutants" because they trap far more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The restrictions being loosened stem from a bipartisan 2020 law Trump signed during his first term. That law had put the United States on track for an 85% reduction in HFC production and consumption by 2036, alongside a global phase-down backed by more than 190 countries.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-administration-removes-restrictions-substance-144500768.html