Condo Hunting

Shelley and I are looking for a new condo.  Our existing condo's air conditioning is always breaking down and our landlord is not quick to fix it. For some reason, she thinks we should be there to supervise the workers.  We have explained that we teach and can't just leave our classes and further more, it is her responsibility as the land lord to hire the workers and supervise them. Seems like a simple concept but she does not seem to care.

We think we will down side to a 2 bedroom and save ourselves some money in the process. We only use the 3rd bedroom when we have visitors and we could use the extra cash to travel more in the new year, or maybe even help Jaime with her rent.

We are looking at units in the same building as it is beautiful and we are used to it.  We did look at units closer to shopping but they have no character at all. Most f all, we just want air conditioning that works.

I have a sneaky suspicion that Malaysia still uses freon.  Let's check!

'What Is In Your Mobile Air-Conditioner?

CFC 12 is the chemical use in the mobile air-conditioner (MAC) as refrigerant. It is also known commercially as R12 or FREON gas. Generally, CFC 12 is released into the atmosphere before the service for MAC is carried out.

When CFC Will Be Phased Out?

All developed countries stopped producing and consuming CFCs in 1996. Malaysia have stopped producing CFCs Mobile Air-conditioning System in year 2000 and ultimately will phase out the import of CFCs starting January 2010 as mandatory date under the Montreal Protocol. '

Guessed right, although they refer to themselves as a developed country they pick and choose what they are developed in (shopping malls and mega structures).  You can not begin to imagine how many air conditioning units this country of 30 million people has and all of them destroying the atmosphere 14 years after North America stopped.  Don't count on them making the 2010 deadline as I have seen nothing in the press.You think we (North Amreicans) are the problem? You have not seen anything now that the Asian and South East Asian countries are coming online.  I have seen more Mercedes, BMW's, and Ferrari's here than I ever saw in N.A. You think the automobiles here are as clean as North America, guess again.

'Exacerbated by limited enforcement and the rapid urbanization rate in Malaysia, loopholes in addressing the air quality problem are related to the inadequacy of the present law to control vehicle emissions. The present regulation is confined to diesel-vehicle users, and car assemblers can get away with substandard engines. The Road Transport Department (RTD) is powerless to nab drivers of petrol-powered vehicles. The Motor Vehicles (Control of Smoke and Gas Emission) Rules 1977, which are enforced jointly by the RTD and the Department of Environment (DOE), are confined to diesel vehicles. This is a major setback considering there are 6.56 million petrol-driven vehicles on the road as against 626,622 diesel-powered vehicles.'

Believe it or not, they still sell 2 stroke motorcycles here in Malaysia.  They were banned in North America in the 70's!

TTYL,

Jim