Much greater fire hazards can be found in most kitchens in the form of a gas stove. No, the problem is liability if the gas stove starts a fire in the kitchen, the fridge manufacturer doesn't wind up in court. In Germany, where product liability law is not so exacting, hydrocarbon refrigerants have taken over the market. In the developing world Greenpeace is promoting hydrocarbon refrigerants heavily in the developing world, where stakes are high. Annual refrigerator sales in less-industrial nations are growing at 15 percent per year.
China has the biggest refrigerator industry in the world.
Where virtually no Chinese homes had fridges 15 years ago, now 20 to 25 percent of them do as high as 90 percent in the cities. Other nations, Indonesia and India in particular, are seeing similar rates of growth. The arguments for hydrocarbon refrigerants are especially powerful in these developing nations where CFCs are still allowed. What's more, if they use hydrocarbons, they won't depend on Northern chemical companies for HFC and HCFC technology, which is not as widely distributed as the refining technology needed to produce hydrocarbons. As a result, Worldwatch Institute reports that 8 of China's 12 largest fridge makers have converted to hydrocarbon technology for foam insulation, and several, with 30 percent of the market, have adopted hydrocarbons for both foam and refrigerant.