Diesel has become the life blood of our economy and the price of petrol is depleting the spare funds in household budgets. All items that we purchase: furniture, food, vegetables, beverages, cleaning materials, clothing, refrigerants and even hardware is transported by road at some stage between the source and the final point of usage. Moderate fluctuations in the price of diesel and petrol have been absorbed for decades. In the 1970s during a similar fuel crisis, filling stations were closed between 18:00 – 06:00 during weekdays, and from 13:00 on Saturdays until 06:00 on Monday. Resilience and corroboration kept the economy and households on track until the international crisis ended.

The present steep increases in diesel and petrol prices, without any reasonable reprieve soon, has brought significant

changes in driving behaviours, improved scheduling of commercial vehicles, more online shopping and remote diagnosis of refrigeration plant malfunctioning. Contrary to misconceptions, motorists can travel further on every tank-full by avoiding unnecessary speeding, restricting heavy acceleration, having well-maintained vehicles and correctly inflated tyres. Small positive steps lead to a large gain.

The HERVAC sector has an important role to play by ensuring that every kilometre travelled by a service technician has the maximum benefit to the plant owner and every task is done right the first time.

Reducing the consumption of diesel or petrol should be considered in the same light as cutting back on the use of electricity, water or refrigerant ahead of a shortage and exorbitant price increases.

Load shedding in South Africa prompted plant owners to attend to maintenance issues, purging of air, replacement of belts, faulty fans, check cold room door seals and clogged condenser coils. In retail outlets, the fitment of doors on vending cabinets increased, covers were fitted to island freezers, air curtains fitted and strip curtains fitted to cold rooms. Although the threat of load shedding has faded the

measures taken, and if maintained, will dilute the rapid increase in electricity tariffs. The usage of water after a zero-day crisis has taken a totally different dimension. Recycling of grey water for irrigation, catchment of rainwater from roofs, limiting the flushing of toilets, avoid taps running while brushing teeth and rapid response to leaks in roadways, are some of the mitigating actions that have become the order of the day. Long may it continue.

Before scientific evidence pointed to the contribution of synthetic refrigerants to the harmful destruction of the ozone layer, refrigerants R12, R11 and R502 were used with limited concern for wastage. At times, refrigerant cylinders were used as a source of compressed air to blow away debris or dust in plant rooms. The Vienna Convention identified a pending environmental crisis. The signing of the Montreal Protocol was the start of an action plan. Training in the safe handling of refrigerants, regular leak testing of HERVAC systems, recovery and recycling of refrigerant, improved pipe jointing and more robust pipe supports, gained importance in the code of practice SABS 0147 which later became a national standard SANS 10147, with compliance being a legal requirement.

John goes a rambling.

Since the attention given to the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming has become a crisis with far-reaching long-term threats. The initiatives downstream of the signing of the Montreal Protocol, have the foundation for the implementation of the Kigali Amendment, with the goal to reduce the total environmental impact of all HERVAC systems.

Is a crisis a real crisis if it drives innovation? The only crisis for humanity is the lack of perseverance to transform innovation to the norm. CLA

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