Secretary of State John Kerry says air conditioners pose as great a threat to civilization as terrorist groups like ISIS.
Speaking Friday in Vienna at a global warming conference, Kerry praised the diplomats for their work updating the Montreal Protcol, which banned various household chemicals in a bid to reduce the hole in the ozone.
Kerry is seeking new bans on hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in air conditioners and other cooling appliances.
“As we were working together on the challenge of [ISIS] and terrorism,” Kerry said. “It’s hard for some people to grasp it, but what we–you–are doing here right now is of equal importance because it has the ability to literally save life on the planet itself.”