New York Times: THE European Union is serious about reining in the release of gases that contribute to global warming. As of Jan. 1, 2011, air-conditioning systems for all new European-made vehicles must begin the switch to a refrigerant other than the current formulation, known as R134a. If there is a familiar ring to this development, it’s because the predecessor of R134a was itself banned for environmental reasons. While the effects on the earth’s atmosphere are different this time, the scramble …