Using recent kinetic data, two-dimensional (2-D) chemical-transport modeling of the atmospheric lifetimes of dimethyl ether and fluorinated ethers CH3OCF3 (E143a), CHF2OCHF2 (E134), and CHF2OCF3 (E125) shows that E134 and E125 have substantially larger lifetimes than previously estimated. Dimethyl ether has a short atmospheric lifetime of 5.1 days and a relatively insignificant radiative forcing leading to a relatively low global warming potential. Increasing fluorination is accompanied by slower rates of reaction with hydroxyl radical and ultimately longer lifetimes. E143a, E134, and E125 were found to have lifetimes of 5.7, 29.7, and 165 years, respectively. In addition, our work uses ab initio methodology to determine IR absorption cross sections for each ether. Our study finds that E134 and E125 have significant infrared absorption and thus relatively high radiative forcing values. These two properties together yield global warming potentials for E134 and E125 of 5720 and 14,000, respectively, integrated over a 100 year period. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union