Small point of correction: r-152a is an eco-friendly refrigerant. The article incorrectly groups all liquid refrigerants together. R12 [and R-134a somewhat] deserves it's reputation, but that has been out of use in America/Europe for a long time. It's worth to note in China/India, researchers suspect that R12 is still in use despite regulations against it.
maybe the fastest way to fight global warming in this instance would be to commercialize the technology solely in China so that it is adopted widely there first
I'm not sure why you were downvoted, this is an incredibly important point. Regulations are so loose in China/India and their population is far more significant that the USA/Europe.
