Do We Need Refrigeration At All?

Worksheet 1: Do we need refrigeration at all?

1. Machines are used to cool or freeze things all around us. What machines might we find in the following places for freezing or cooling (including air conditioning)?

at home
in the workplace
in shops
in factories
on the road
in hospitals
in aeroplanes
in leisure centres

2. All the machines in the places listed above have important uses. But they are consuming a lot of energy. Are they all essential or could we do without some of them? Which ones would you keep and which ones would you do without?

3. What alternatives can you think of to mechanical refrigeration? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

4. How do you think the problems of Global Warming and Ozone Depletion from refrigeration should be tackled, and by whom?

5. Now consider an example of refrigerating equipment. What is its effect on the environment and what can we do to minimise it? Think about the fridges in our homes...

Try Worksheet 2 or Worksheet 3

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