WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Two government officials brought their perspectives on high-profile HVACR issues - global warming and building security - to some 500 researchers, scientists, and engineers during plenary sessions at the joint Compressor Engineering and Refrigeration & Air Conditioning conferences at Purdue University.

Fahey did not assign specific blame for the global warming problem. Rather, he said it involves such factors as "population, economy, environment, technology, and globalization." Many in the audience were aware that HFC refrigerants have been targeted as part of the global warming issue and have come in for calls for phaseout in some parts of Europe.