Dear Green American, Safeway and other major grocery chains are creating a huge climate problem. Refrigerators in the companies’ stores using potent super-pollutant gasses, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are leaking and accelerating the climate crisis. A recent investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency, YouthPower Climate Action, and Green America used advanced technology in grocery stores in Northern California to detect leaks. We found half of the stores we visited had leaks of climate-polluting gasses. These harmful, human-made gasses are leaking out of refrigeration systems and rapidly entering our atmosphere. Eliminating HFCs and adopting climate-friendly refrigerants is a top solution to address the climate crisis that can prevent nearly half a degree of global warming. Each major supermarket chain - Safeway, Kroger, Ralphs, Save Mart, Albertsons, and Walmart - needs to act by setting a zero-leak tolerance policy and publicly committing to adopt climate-friendly refrigerants in all new stores and retrofits, and developing a plan to phase out use of HFCs by 2035. Tell Safeway and other major chains they must take action now. |
