Rising demand for cooling systems in Nigeria and other African nations might be making existing pollution problems worse.[qh]

随着尼日利亚和其他非洲国家对冷却系统的需求不断上升，现有的污染问题可能会变得更糟。[qh]

Cooling systems use gases called refrigerants.Such gases can affect the atmosphere if they escape.[qh]

冷却系统使用一种叫制冷剂的气体。如果这些气体逸出，可能会影响大气。[qh]

Some of these pollutants have been found to be more harmful than other kinds of greenhouse gases.[qh]

其中一些污染物被发现比其他种类的温室气体危害更大。[qh]

The Nigerian government has approved restrictions on the release of refrigerant gases into the environment.[qh]

尼日利亚政府已批准限制向环境中排放制冷剂气体。[qh]

But enforcement efforts for the laws have been difficult.[qh]

但这些法律的执行工作一直很困难。[qh]

Abiodun Ajeigbe leads an air conditioning business for Samsung, West Africa.[qh]

阿比奥登-阿吉格贝领导着西非三星的空调业务。[qh]

He told The Associated Press (AP), “Those laws, those rules, nobody enforces them.” [qh]

他对美联社说：“那些法律，那些规则，没有人执行。[qh]

Ajeigbe said one of the biggest problems is a lack of effective education and training about the possible harms of refrigerants.[qh]

阿吉格贝表示，最大的问题之一是缺乏关于制冷剂可能危害的有效教育和培训。[qh]

This means many cooling system installers might not follow legal requirements when removing old systems or putting new ones in.[qh]

这意味着许多冷却系统安装者在拆卸旧系统或安装新系统时可能不会遵循法律要求。[qh]

Some trained workers do follow environmental rules governing the use of cooling refrigerants.[qh]

一些训练有素的工人确实遵守了有关使用冷却制冷剂的环境法规。[qh]

But these kinds of installations cost more.[qh]

但这类安装的成本更高。[qh]

Industry experts and public records suggest the most common air conditioning systems in Africa use a kind of gas known by the trade name R-22.[qh]

行业专家和公共记录表明，非洲最常见的空调系统使用的是一种商标名为R-22的气体。[qh]

This refrigerant is said to be less harmful to the environment than older cooling chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).[qh]

据说，这种制冷剂对环境的危害小于被称为氯氟烃(CFCs)的较老的冷却化学品。[qh]

CFC’s have largely been removed from most modern cooling systems.[qh]

大多数现代冷却系统基本上都不再使用氯氟化碳。[qh]

That change was put in motion by the 1987 Montreal Protocol environmental treaty.[qh]

这一变化开始于1987年蒙特利尔议定书环境条约的启动。[qh]

A document from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says R-22 is considered many times more damaging to the world’s climate than carbon dioxide.[qh]

美国环境保护署(EPA)的一份文件说，R-22对世界气候的破坏被认为是二氧化碳的好几倍。[qh]

For example, about one-half kilogram of R-22 is said to equal one ton of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.[qh]

例如，据说大约半公斤的R-22相当于一吨二氧化碳，这是最常见的温室气体。[qh]

However, while carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for more than 200 years, R-22 stays for about 12 years.[qh]

然而，二氧化碳可以在大气层中停留200多年，而R-22可以停留大约12年。[qh]

R-22 cooling equipment is not as energy efficient as some other systems.[qh]

R-22冷却设备不像其他一些系统那样节能。[qh]

And most of the electricity used to power R-22 coolers in Africa requires carbon-based fuels.[qh]

在非洲，为R-22冷却器供电的大部分电力都需要碳基燃料。[qh]

Nigeria is planning to ban R-22 refrigerants by January 1, 2030.[qh]

尼日利亚计划在2030年1月1日之前禁止使用R-22制冷剂。[qh]

But without enough enforcement, that target is not likely to be met, Samsung’s Ajeigbe told the AP.[qh]

但三星的阿吉格贝告诉美联社，如果没有足够的执法，这一目标不太可能实现。[qh]

Some cooling systems use a group of refrigerants called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).[qh]

一些冷却系统使用一组称为氢氟烃(HFCs)的制冷剂。[qh]

These do not harm the ozone layer and are more energy efficient.[qh]

它们不会损害臭氧层，而且更节能。[qh]

But HFCs are said to be strong greenhouse gases and account for an estimated 2 percent of all human-caused warming in the atmosphere.[qh]

但氢氟碳化物据说是强烈的温室气体，估计占所有人类造成的大气变暖的2%。[qh]

One of the most harmful HFCs, called R-410A, is used in the second most common kind of air conditioners in Africa, the AP reported.[qh]

据美联社报道，危害最大的氢氟碳化物之一，被称为R-410A，用于非洲第二常见的空调。[qh]

Sellers and installers of cooling equipment in Nigeria told the news agency that although HFC systems are less damaging to the environment, they are more costly to operate.[qh]

尼日利亚的制冷设备销售商和安装商告诉通讯社，尽管HFC系统对环境的破坏较小，但它们的运营成本更高。[qh]

The same issues are affecting countries beyond Nigeria.[qh]

同样的问题也影响着尼日利亚以外的国家。[qh]

In Ghana, the cooling industry also struggles to get companies and workers to obey current environmental rules.[qh]

在加纳，制冷行业也在努力让公司和工人遵守当前的环境法规。[qh]

Environmental officials in Ghana told the AP that “poor servicing practices” for cooling systems are common across the country.[qh]

加纳的环境官员告诉美联社，冷却系统的 "不良维修做法 "在全国各地都很普遍。[qh]

This is largely the result of the public choosing lower-trained installers who might not follow recommended standards.[qh]

这在很大程度上是因为公众选择了受过较低培训的安装人员，他们可能不遵循推荐的标准。[qh]

In Kenya, demand for cooling systems is also growing as the population grows and electricity becomes more widely available.[qh]

在肯尼亚，随着人口的增长和电力供应的普及，对冷却系统的需求也在增长。[qh]

Cooling systems using R-22 are still common across the country.[qh]

使用R-22的冷却系统在全国范围内仍然很常见。[qh]

But the nation’s Environmental Management Authority told the AP there have not been any new imports of the systems since 2021.[qh]

但国家环境管理局告诉美联社，自2021年以来，就没有任何新的系统进口。[qh]

Workers dealing with cooling systems and refrigerants are required to get a license.[qh]

处理冷却系统和制冷剂的工人必须获得许可证。[qh]

But several installation workers told the AP that since such requirements are hard to enforce, environmentally unsafe methods are carried out.[qh]

但几名安装工人告诉美联社，由于这些要求难以执行，因此采用了对环境不安全的方法。[qh]

I’m Bryan Lynn.[qh]

我是布莱恩·林恩。[qh]