HDTV endangers environment and health

Researchers at the University of California have highlighted the potential harm that the boom in HDTV production could have on the environment and people’s health.

A report in New Scientist magazine suggests that the production of Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3), which is used in LCD panels, has reached 4,000 tonnes a year.

This is equal to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of Austria, and NF3 is 17,000 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

It is believed to have a half-life of 550 years, when released into the atmosphere.

Also, if the gas is inhaled, it is toxic to the liver and kidneys.

To make the situation worse, NF3 is not covered by the Kyoto protocol because it wasn’t a significant threat when the agreement was signed in 1997.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with other members of EU to ensure that NF3 will be covered in future UN climate change agreements.