# data[].attributes.body
During the pandemic People would assume that A lot of businesses dies down In fact some retail categories have been insanely successful, like home furnishing, and decor. "Criteo data from the first half of 2020 showed sales for items like outdoor furniture sets up 434% year over year, with other home items like folding chairs and stools, activity tables and rocking chairs not far behind." Its crazy to think about the fact that there are businesses that actually did better due to covid. This didn't necessarily make it easy for these categories to just sit and watch as consumers bought there products. It became a time of extremely competitive sales. If they couldn't differentiate themselves from others than they would get left behind and not get any sales. This is a business that has been successful for at least 100 years now so what do they do know to make sure they stay successful or become more successful. "While pure-play e-commerce retailers have seen many benefits emerge from the model over the last year, the rise in vaccinations in the U.S. is allowing consumers to feel more confident re-emerging into society. In many cases, this also means a return to in-store shopping. " as we are heading out of the pandemic (I hope) it has been clear that these customers are going to stay customers and these trends aren't dying down. So what are these places going to do in order to keep up with demand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Throughout the pandemic, some retail categories have been inherently successful. Home furnishings and décor are among them; with consumers spending so much more time at home, updates and renovations flourished.

Criteo data from the first half of 2020 showed sales for items like outdoor furniture sets up 434% year over year, with other home items like folding chairs and stools, activity tables and rocking chairs not far behind.

However, just because consumers were investing in their living spaces did not mean that home furnishings retailers could sit back and relax. The influx of consumers also brought a whole host of new competition. If companies were not prepared to differentiate themselves, they risked being left behind.

The Company Store responded: Its marketing team made sure, throughout 2020, that it was communicating its differentiators along every step of the buying journey.
Finding new customers in a pandemic
As a 110-year-old business with a rich heritage, The Company Store was no stranger to driving customers online. That said, the pandemic did bring a host of new online audiences, many of whom had never before purchased at-home items, such as bedding, online.

The first tactic The Company Store used to find new customers was ensuring its teams had the right online prospecting tactics in place. Identifying and targeting high-value customers, and serving them highly relevant ads, was a key strategy.

"Any retailer nowadays needs to target, optimize, change and try, try again," said Corinne Bentzen, CEO of The Company Store. "Criteo has been a key partner in similar audience targeting, and more recently, we have seen success with commerce audiences, which is specifically going after high-value prospective customers and serving relevant products, which is driving above-average AOV."

The Company Store also rebranded its website in March 2020. While the brand always planned to spend the year making its site better, the influx of online shoppers made it even more important to improve browsing capabilities and increase meaningful content.

"The pandemic only accelerated us - making our site better, making it easier to shop, showing products in an easy-to-browse way and giving consumers a breadth of content to interact with once they were interested in a specific product," said Bentzen.
How the company kept consumers coming back
While pure-play e-commerce retailers have seen many benefits emerge from the model over the last year, the rise in vaccinations in the U.S. is allowing consumers to feel more confident re-emerging into society. In many cases, this also means a return to in-store shopping.

The Company Store is not worried about consumers heading back to its brick-and-mortar competitors, though. Beyond the company's site's ease of use, it has also worked on critical differentiators, like its return policy.

"We have our 'Rest Easy Guarantee' where you can test your product, use it, wash it and after 90 days, if you don't like it, you can still return it and we will credit you back for that purchase," said Bentzen. Since launching the policy, Bentzen noted that returns have decreased.

And The Company Store paid attention to the customer experience and tone of its messaging overall, especially in the challenging times of 2020.

"We have a lot of prints, we have a lot more color, and we know this was hugely relevant in a time that was a little grim," says Bentzen. "We did beef up on a little bit of humor, a little bit of whimsy. We didn't take ourselves too seriously in a world that was obviously very, very serious."
Planning for 2021 and beyond
It is clear that even as more consumers head back into stores, e-commerce will remain a huge part of the buying experience and become increasingly competitive.

To increase customer lifetime value and loyalty in a world where shoppers are online more than ever, retailers need to think beyond big discounts to keep consumers coming back. An easy-to-use website, an extensive return policy and superior customer service are just a few of The Company Store's success stories.

Another differentiator that keeps customers coming back? Focusing on the issues that are important to them, such as sustainability.

"We are looking for solutions where we can communicate without creating waste," said Bentzen. "One example is using the inside flaps of our shipping boxes for messages as opposed to adding insert cards. Also, I am allergic to a box in a box."

Finally, it is all about making sure the home feels like a haven.

"One of the big questions we have out there is if consumers are going to continue investing in the home," said Bentzen. "While I think many of us are getting antsy and want to get out and about, I think our relationship with the home has changed. It has become our safe haven. Our goal at The Company Store is to continue to make it that safe haven."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How The Company Store is reimagining customer experiences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Throughout the pandemic, some retail categories have been inherently successful. Home furnishings and décor are among them; with consumers spending so much more time at home, updates and renovations flourished. Criteo data from the first half of 2020 showed sales for items like outdoor furniture sets up 434% year over year, with other home items like folding chairs and stools, activity tables and rocking chairs not far behind.

# data[].attributes.body
Most people have heard of The meme inspired cryptocurrency dogecoin is on the rise again they are saying that its going to rise even more with Elon Musk ghosting Saturday night live. "Given how Musk has masterfully commanded social media to build a cult-level following for his entrepreneurial ventures, it’s likely he could use this newest platform an Emmy award-winning TV show with 9.1 million viewers to push his latest interest, which seems to be Dogecoin." Most people know that Elon has enormous amounts of power because of his money and his brains. Musk uses this by tweeting his thoughts of the crypto and that alone helps increase the tokens value by 11,770%. Jesse Cohen, a senior analyst at Investing.com, told Fast Company in an emailed statement, “We see a greater likelihood that Dogecoin will reach the $1-mark in the coming days, with probability rising for DOGE to rally to as high as $5 later in 2021 amid soaring social media interest.” all of this is supper interesting because its not based on actual numbers. Elon can send a tweet and doge goes up, Someone else can write about doge and nothing will happen. The control over something with money value as this is absolutely absurd and dangerous to society I believe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Analysts are predicting that the market madness over internet-meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin could reach a fever pitch in the next few days.

That's as Elon Musk-king of cryptic tweets and hype culture-is set to take the stage as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend.

As part of the gig, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO will deliver the show's opening monologue, then perform a packed schedule of scripted skits with its cast of comedians.

Given how Musk has masterfully commanded social media to build a cult-level following for his entrepreneurial ventures, it's likely he could use this newest platform-an Emmy-award-winning TV show with 9.1 million viewers-to push his latest interest, which seems to be Dogecoin. Musk's bullish tweets on cryptocurrency have helped fuel a staggering 11,770% increase in the token's value year-to-date, from around half a cent to 60 cents midday Thursday. It spiked more than 100% in the past week, after Musk tweeted "The Dogefather SNL May 8," prompting speculation over a Doge-themed skit.

Jesse Cohen, a senior analyst at Investing.com, told Fast Company in an emailed statement, "We see a greater likelihood that Dogecoin will reach the $1-mark in the coming days, with probability rising for DOGE to rally to as high as $5 later in 2021 amid soaring social media interest." If DOGE were to hit $1, that would mean a $1,000 investment at the beginning of the year would multiply to $185,000. If it hits $5, that would be nearly a million dollars.

"Mounting support from high-profile billionaires will continue to add to the legitimacy of the meme cryptocurrency," Cohen added, and "we expect money to flow out of the expensive large-cap coins and into the smaller alt-coins still trading in the single-digits."

Cohen is not the only analyst who feels that way. In a note cited by CNBC Wednesday, Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at Oanda, wrote that "many cryptocurrency traders do not want to miss out on any buzz" associated with Musk's appearance.

So if you're still trading brand-name cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether, maybe it's time to jump ship! Or not? Who knows! Cryptocurrencies are notoriously volatile, so please don't hold us responsible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dogecoin price will skyrocket again with Elon Musk hosting 'Saturday Night Live,' say analysts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Analysts are predicting that the market madness over internet-meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin could reach a fever pitch in the next few days. That's as Elon Musk-king of cryptic tweets and hype culture-is set to take the stage as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend.

# data[].attributes.body
the social media platform took off early at the start of the pandemic way back in march 2020. The platform has now allowed for young stars to start careers or just funny trends in general. As time has gone on Tok Tok has been growing and growing and like other social media platforms advertisers want to use Tok Tok as a way of marketing. The App is not too happy about this they actually said they don't want advertisers creating ads for its platform. a big reasoning for this is that these advertising are trying to market to gen z. well those aren't the only age groups to use the app. "It also wants brands to know that it’s not just a platform for Gen Z. TikTok is “driven by organic content from audiences of all ages,” said head of global marketing Nick Tran. "  the multitude of users can attest they enjoy there time o the app without ads popping up every 5 min. "TikTok has 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., 30% of which report watching less TV since joining the platform, and 93% of which say they “feel happy” after spending time on the app, according to an internal survey." I chose this article cause I too watch a lot of tie Tok and do agree that this is the only social media platform where I don't have too deal with ads all of the time I can just enjoy my tie watching videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TikTok doesn't want advertisers to create ads for its platform.

At its NewFront presentation on Thursday, TikTok told marketers that in order to be successful with its audience, they have to show up natively on the platform.

At the event, hosted by TikTok creator Tai Verdes, the platform touted its reach and cultural impact through survey data and case studies, and presented itself as a culturally relevant entertainment app, rather than a social platform.

TikTok wants advertisers to know it's not all just about branding, but can drive real sales. Sandie Hawkins, GM of North America and global business solutions at TikTok, cited the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend as evidence that the platform turns impressions into purchases.

It also wants brands to know that it's not just a platform for Gen Z. TikTok is "driven by organic content from audiences of all ages," said head of global marketing Nick Tran.
The numbers
TikTok has 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., 30% of which report watching less TV since joining the platform, and 93% of which say they "feel happy" after spending time on the app, according to an internal survey.

All signs indicate that the TikTok obsession won't slow down as the world reopens. Eighty-eight percent of TikTokers plan to spend equal or more time on the app when things go back to normal, according to the survey.

As for advertisers, consumers actually like ads on TikTok,, with 61% of describing ads on the platform as "unique."

TikTok is also effective. Ninety-percent of TikTok campaigns exceed a return on ad spend (ROAS) of $2.50, while half exceed a ROAS of $5. Meanwhile, TikTok exceeds Kantar global norms for brand favorability, awareness and purchase intent by at least 2x, based on measurements from Q4.
So where's the evidence?
TikTok brought on outgoing U.S. CMO of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Andrea Zahumensky, and CMO of American Eagle Outfitters, Craig Brommers, to discuss the impact TikTok had on their business.

After a video of a TikTok creator wearing American Eagle leggings went viral, the brand's Google searches spiked 200% and the leggings have sold out every time they've been restocked in the past year, Brommers said.

Meanwhile, Zahumnesky attributed the success of KFC's chicken sandwich campaign to TikTok grandma creator, Lily Hayes, who has over 3.4 million followers on the platform.

@lilihayes
You're getting appitized! lol ‍♂️ @kentuckyfriedchicken ##trythekfcsandwich ##satisfiedcustomers ##ad
♬ original sound - Lili Hayes
TikTok Do's and Don'ts
TikTok hosted a "marketing advice" segment during its NewFront where creators and executives told brands to trust and give creative freedom to influencers for the best results, highlighting the need for fluidity and speed.

Brands should also lean into TikTok's relationship with music. Three-fourths of TikTokers say they discover new artists on the platform, and 68% prefer videos from brands that feature new music they haven't heard before.

Sixty-eight percent of TikTokers also agree they remember a brand better if they feature a song they like,and 72% associate songs with the platform.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TikTok to marketers: 'Make TikToks, not ads'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TikTok doesn't want advertisers to create ads for its platform. At its NewFront presentation on Thursday, TikTok told marketers that in order to be successful with its audience, they have to show up natively on the platform.

# data[].attributes.body
Many brands today have made it look so incredibly easy, people will buy the product just so they can feel as if they are an ambassador. Companies like Lulu Lemon  do so well at making their brand more appealing than what they are actually selling. "The reality is that without genuine passion or affinity for a specific brand, it’s unlikely that consumers will seek out brand-based communities regardless of the exclusive offers or membership status offered to them. "  The article proceeds to write about three myths the first is about how companies believes that they build brand community through member only events, in actuality  the consumers have much different priorities, and they believe that getting product information and exclusive offers were much more of what they wanted. This article was extremely interesting to me because I believed in some of these myths and this article allowed me to see through different view points.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Much like 'personalization', 'omnichannel' and 'experience' were once hot-button topics, one of the new marketing buzzwords today is 'community'. Some brands have managed to create a community of loyal brand followers who buy their products and act as ambassadors - or even evangelists - promoting the brand in their personal and digital lives. So how did these brands do it?
Humans are hard-wired for connection; research suggests social connection is actually essential to our survival. It's not surprising that more than a year into this global pandemic, consumers are craving community now more than ever, but shockingly it's estimated that nearly all online branded communities will fail within their first year.

The brands that do community well - think Lululemon, Glossier and Peloton - make it look easy. So why do so many others fall into predictable traps? Trying to design the 'ideal' brand community in-house and then pushing it onto consumers rarely works. Brands must view community as something they build with their consumers, not for them.

Through our proprietary consumer research program, the Jackman Human Insights Study - which includes both qualitative and quantitative research - we recently unpacked the topic in a way that's both understandable and actionable for brands.

Our research found that much of what brands think they know about building communities is wrong. However, it also revealed some important insights that can help brands get it right.

Myth #1: exclusive membership drives involvement and engagement

Many brands assume the best way to build community is through members-only events, exclusive content and special perks for community insiders. In reality, consumers have very different priorities. We asked consumers what was most important to them specifically when interacting with others about a topic they cared about - getting product information and ideas (9%) and becoming an exclusive member or insider (5%) were at the bottom of the list.

Fostering a community is all about emotional connections. The priorities that rose to the top in that same question were learning something new (47%), expressing oneself freely (42%) and sharing one's knowledge or expertise (41%).

One-way communication from brands, exclusive offers and the status associated with being a 'member' are not enough to build communities that resonate with consumers. The opportunity for exchanging knowledge and interacting authentically is much more important than exclusivity.

Myth #2: if you build it, they will come

People have limited capacity for communities. Most consumers are part of just three or four social groups, which includes communities that are naturally formed around family, work, friends and religion or culture. This leaves little time or energy for participating in communities focused on areas of interest, and few consumers are willing to dedicate this limited time to brands.

In our study, 43% of consumers cited elements of connection as the core benefit they sought when engaging with others. Common words that arose when discussing connection included 'unite', 'teamwork', 'friendship' and 'gathering'. While some brands can create this sense of collective belonging on their own (Peloton, for instance, has managed to turn its bike owners into a community that exercises together and uplifts one another), most will be more successful if they meet consumers where they already are.

A good (pre-social media) example of this is Jeep, which uses the Easter Jeep Safari event to introduce new concept vehicles. The event was launched in 1967 by the Moab Utah Chamber of Commerce and has been run by a local Jeep club since the 1980s. The automaker didn't conceptualize the event and invite consumers to attend; it discovered that its consumers had already organized the event and decided to join them.

Most brands don't have consumers already organizing around their products - but your core consumers are likely already gathering. Your job is to find them. A flour company could join an online community of bakers or a health and wellness brand could seek out yoga enthusiasts. Offer these core consumers reciprocal benefits and an opportunity for authentic engagement with your brand and with each other.

Myth #3: one strategy can be applied to different kinds of communities

While foundational characteristics like trust and transparency are critical for any community to succeed, it is a mistake to assume there is a consistent set of strategic tactics that are interchangeable across all communities.

Communities are built around common interests, belief systems, actions, professions, circumstances and places. Brands need to know what kind of communities they are building and the core audience with whom they wish to build it in order to identify successful strategies.

If we examine a health and wellness community next to one that is organized around food, we can see important distinctions. Members of both are motivated by the desire to interact with people who have similar interests. But what makes people stay in a health and wellness community tends to be the ongoing personal support they feel they receive and the desire to help others by sharing their own knowledge or advice. Members of a food community, on the other hand, are less concerned with personal support. They stay engaged for the elements of fun and camaraderie.

There are functional questions to answer about your community, like who created it and how members communicate, but brands cannot build a community without understanding their consumers on an emotional level. Like everything related to marketing, success will come from knowing what unites the potential members of a community, what brings them together, what motivates them to come back and what else - beyond the community - matters to them.

The reality of community-building

The reality is that without genuine passion or affinity for a specific brand, it's unlikely that consumers will seek out brand-based communities regardless of the exclusive offers or membership status offered to them. To approach community in the right way, your brand must:

Engage with your consumers where they already are - it's easier than trying to attract them to the brand

Offer reciprocal benefits and enable knowledge-sharing and genuine interactions among consumers

Be clear on what is important to the core community and tailor strategies accordingly

Strive to be authentic and transparent

Approaching community with these takeaways in mind will help guide a brand's approach to fostering a community of loyal supporters and brand ambassadors.
Stefan Read is senior vice president of engagement advisory and strategy practice lead at Jackman.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Humans are hardwired for connection, so why is building a brand community so difficult?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Much like 'personalization', 'omnichannel' and 'experience' were once hot-button topics, one of the new marketing buzzwords today is 'community'. Some brands have managed to create a community of loyal brand followers who buy their products and act as ambassadors - or even evangelists - promoting the brand in their personal and digital lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Gaming has become much more of an impact within todays society, as well as evolved drastically. The average age of gamers has grown from 18-25 to 35, as well as more woman gamers entering the scene. Gamers who are in the 50+ range say they have been gaming to keeping there mind sharp and allows them a way to escape work for a little and reduce stress. "As technology becomes much more accessible, we’re also seeing a younger audience come to the forefront of gaming demographics. The age range 11-14 now represent 84% of the video game market among the whole population in Europe." With younger gamers being brought to the scene it is now easier to use video games as a source of education. "The British Esports Association represent the government funded gaming market and have developed the first BTEC qualification for esports of its kind." The use of Esports allows retailers to use social media as a source of marketing and reaching out to this new group. retailers also use Esports to use sponsorship deals, advertising platforms, and merchandising contracts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The gaming sector has evolved dramatically in the last decade. We've seen a surge of new gamers across all demographics, particularly after a challenging 12 months of enforced lockdowns when many people turned to gaming as a method of escapism. in 2020, there were 2.69 billion active video game players worldwide.

The result is that the traditional gamer has been transformed. In 2014, 73% of gamers were young adults aged between 16 to 24. However, the average age of the gamer of today is around 35 years old. We're also beginning to see the number of female gamers growing at a faster rate than their male counterparts.

We have been able to assess the performance of retailers taking advantage of the gaming market using the BOSCO™ Index, which is a measure of how well they are exploiting their digital opportunities compared to their closest competitors. How are these retailers changing their strategy to meet the requirements of this new gaming demographic?

What does the new style of gamer look like?

Those aged 50+, an age range of gamers that has significantly increased, claim that gaming keeps them mentally sharp, reduces stress and in some cases allows them to stay socially connected.

Another fundamental change to the market is the rise of the female gamer; 45% of European gamers are female and women account for nearly 41% of all gamers in the United States.

In Asia, which accounts for 48% of the world's total gaming revenue, there are entire teams and leagues made up of female gamers who are making an impact on the world stage. This includes the Female Esports League, a regional gaming circuit that provides a platform to empower and engage female gamers.

The main issue being raised by these organisations seeking opportunity and equality within the gaming sector is whether the industry is adequately structured to serve this growing consumer segment.

As technology becomes much more accessible, we're also seeing a younger audience come to the forefront of gaming demographics. The age range 11-14 now represent 84% of the video game market among the whole population in Europe.

Gaming is now used for educational purposes, as well as becoming a recognised and acceptable career choice. The British Esports Association represent the government funded gaming market and have developed the first BTEC qualification for esports of its kind.

The State of Online Gaming report revealed that more than 38% of gamers would like to become professionals if they could support themselves as professional video gamers, an increase of 3% in the past year.

How are retailers targeting these new gamers?

The market growth has encouraged some brands to move away from traditional forms of advertising such as display and OOH. Gaming and its expansion over time is enabling brands to advertise through virtual billboards on games such as Football Manager and now the Fifa soccer series. Bidstack, which previously sold ad space, has completely rebranded as a native in-game advertising platform to meet with the demand.

As this vertical continues to grow, EA (BOSCO™ Index: 705) last year trialled full screen in-game ads within the UFC 4 'replay' moments during gameplay. However, it was short lived, and these ads were removed after the company's social channels were inundated with complaints from gamers.

Typically limited to specific main menu tiles or octagon logo placements, an EA spokesperson said that ad integration in the replay and overlay experience will not be reappearing in the future.

One way that retailers are targeting these new gamers is through social media and more forum and discussion-based platforms such as Reddit and Twitch. Since March, the first-time download of Twitch has risen to 14%.

American cosmetics brand E.l.f. (BOSCO™ Index: 632) tapped into the overlooked gamer market and partnered with Kathleen Belsten (Loserfruit), a popular Twitch gaming streamer and social media personality. The brand aimed to strengthen its position among Gen Z gamers after a survey revealed 70% of its followers play video games, while 65% enjoy watching others stream gaming content.

In addition to promoting the brand and its products, E.l.f. and Kathleen are planning to launch E.l.f. U (University), an initiative that empowers and supports female gamers.

Esports in particular are becoming a huge opportunity for retailers. With global tournaments offering sponsorship deals, advertising platforms and merchandising contracts.

Cosmetics brands Johnson & Johnson's Carefree (BOSCO™ Index: 569), L'Occitane, and Benefit Cosmetics (715) have all recently sponsored the Girl Gamer Esports Festival. Johnson & Johnson said that its brand values of empowering young women to be confident and ambitious aligns with the Girl Gamer mission for women empowerment, equality and inclusion.

Big name brands such as Puma (BOSCO™ Index: 669) have embraced the esports scene, partnering with Gen.G, the leading esports organisation. This deal saw Puma create its very own line of esports clothing, specifically tailored to the gaming market. Gen G's players and online influencers also received the clothing line as merchandise.

Similarly, Louis Vuitton (BOSCO™ Index: 735) unveiled a collaboration with Riot Games for the League of Legends World Championship in 2019. As well as creating a one of its kind trophy travel case, the luxury fashion brand created an esports collection, which sold out in just 60 minutes.

Social media is also the new frontier for gaming, advertising within games on Facebook. The biggest opportunity for brand integration within Facebook games is the use of strategic marketing where consumers don't even realise that they are being sold to. For example, Miracle-Gro (BOSCO™ Index: 720) recently partnered with Zynga's Farmville to allow players to use Miracle-Gro to grow and harvest their crops in-game.

What's next for the gaming market

It's clear that the traditional gamer has evolved and to appeal to the wider market, retailers need to become more inclusive and innovative. Despite the increase in female gamers and exclusive leagues, there is still a lack of representation within the industry.

Analysts predict that by 2025, the global gaming market is forecast to be worth $256.97bn. Most retailers are yet to take advantage of this untapped market, with masses of opportunity not yet explored.

Given the crowded marketplace, you require a competitive advantage when it comes to advertising in the right marketing channels to target gamers. BOSCO™ gives retailers the power of predictive marketing analytics, combining trusted data and machine learning for maximum budget efficiency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How retailers are successfully targeting new gamers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The gaming sector has evolved dramatically in the last decade. We've seen a surge of new gamers across all demographics, particularly after a challenging 12 months of enforced lockdowns when many people turned to gaming as a method of escapism. in 2020, there were 2.69 billion active video game players worldwide.

# data[].attributes.body
In this article written by Scott Denning he writes about how the EPA is moving to eliminate all sorts of bad chemicals that have been being used as coolants in our appliances since the 90s. "Refrigerators and air conditioners use a technology known as a heat pump. It sounds almost miraculous—heat pumps use energy to take heat out of a cold place and dump it in a warm place." The whole goal is to try and replace HFCs, since they are so powerful and die out extremely fast stopping the production completely could have a large impact on cooling within the climate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to eliminate a class of chemicals widely used as coolants in refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps.

If that feels like déjà vu, it should.

These chemicals, called hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, were commercialized in the 1990s as a replacement for earlier refrigerants that were based on chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. CFCs were destroying the ozone layer high in the Earth's atmosphere, which is essential for protecting life from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.

HFCs are much less harmful than CFCs, but they create another problem-they have a strong heat-trapping effect that is contributing to global warming.

Several states have announced plans over the past few years for phasing out HFCs. Now the EPA, following a vote in Congress, is proposing federal regulations to cut HFC production and imports starting in 2022, and aims to reduce their production and use by 85% within 15 years.

Let's take a closer look at what HFCs are and what might replace them.

How HFCs keep rooms and food cool

Refrigerators and air conditioners use a technology known as a heat pump. It sounds almost miraculous-heat pumps use energy to take heat out of a cold place and dump it in a warm place.

Here's how a refrigerator works: A fluid-CFCs back in the old days, and now HFCs-circulates in the walls of the refrigerator, absorbing the ambient heat to keep the fridge cooled down. As that liquid absorbs the heat, it evaporates. The resulting vapor is pumped to the coils on the back of the refrigerator, where it is condensed back to a liquid under pressure. In the process, the heat that was absorbed from inside the fridge is released into the surrounding room. Air conditioners and home heat pumps do precisely the same thing: they use electric-powered compressors and evaporators to move heat into or out of a house.

Choosing the right fluid for a refrigerator means finding a substance that can be evaporated and condensed at the right temperatures by changing the pressure on the fluid.

CFCs seemed to fit the bill perfectly. They didn't react with the tubing or compressors to corrode the equipment, and they weren't toxic or flammable.

Unfortunately, the chemical stability of CFCs turned out to be a problem that threatened the whole world, as scientists discovered in the 1980s. Leaking CFCs, mostly from discarded equipment, remain in the atmosphere for a long time. Eventually they make their way to the stratosphere, where they are finally destroyed by UV radiation from the sun. But when they break down, they create chlorine that reacts with the protective ozone, letting dangerous radiation through to the Earth's surface.

When production of CFCs was eliminated in the 1990s to protect the ozone layer, new refrigerants were developed and the industry shifted to HFCs.

Why HFCs are a climate problem

HFCs are like CFCs but much more reactive in air, so they never reach the stratosphere where they could harm Earth's protective radiation shield. They largely saved the world from impending ozone disaster, and they are now found in refrigerators and heat pumps everywhere.

But while HFCs' chemical reactivity prevents them from depleting the ozone layer, their molecular structure allows them to absorb a lot of thermal radiation, making them a greenhouse gas. Like carbon dioxide on steroids, HFCs are extremely good at capturing infrared photons emitted by the Earth. Some of this radiant energy warms the climate.

Unlike CO2, reactive HFCs are consumed by chemistry in the air, so they only warm the climate for a decade or two. But a little bit goes a long way-each HFC molecule absorbs thousands of times as much heat as a CO2 molecule, making them powerful climate pollutants.

HFCs leaking from discarded cooling equipment are estimated to contribute about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions-about twice as much as aviation.

This is why it's time to retire HFCs and swap them out for alternative refrigerants. They've done their job saving the ozone layer, but now HFCs are a major contributor to short-term global warming, and their use has been increasing as demand for cooling increases around the world.

What can replace HFCs?

Because they are so powerful and short lived, stopping the production and use of HFCs can have a significant cooling effect on the climate over the next couple of decades, buying time as the world converts its energy supply from fossil fuels to cleaner sources.

The good news is that there are alternative refrigerants.

Ammonia and hydrocarbons like butane evaporate at room temperature and have been used as refrigerants since the early 20th century. These gases are short lived, but they have a downside. Their greater reactivity means their compressors and plumbing have to be more corrosion resistant and leakproof to be safe.

The chemical industry has been developing newer alternatives intended to be safer for both people and the climate, but as we saw with CFCs and HFCs, inert chemicals can have unintended consequence. Several industry leaders have supported efforts to phase out HFCs, including the Kigali Amendment-an international agreement to globally reduce HFC use that was signed in 2016 but has yet to be ratified by the U.S.

So, it's time for another generation of cooling equipment. Just as our TVs and audio equipment and light bulbs have evolved over past decades, our refrigerators and air conditioners will be replaced by a new wave of improved products. New refrigerators will look and work just like the ones we're used to, but they will be much gentler on the climate system.
Scott Denning is a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why your next refrigerator may have a radical (but invisible) makeover

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to eliminate a class of chemicals widely used as coolants in refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps. If that feels like déjà vu, it should. These chemicals, called hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, were commercialized in the 1990s as a replacement for earlier refrigerants that were based on chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs.