Heat waves are plaguing the country, with temperatures on the rise all over. Americans understand the necessity of keeping cool during summers like these, but could your air conditioner actually be causing more harm than good to your health?
It all comes down to fossil fuel dependence. Air conditioners are increasing the emission of fossil fuels into the atmosphere, especially large window units, because of the amount of energy they draw from power plants that regularly burn these climate-changing chemicals. It’s expected that, by the year 2050, if air conditioner use continues to rise, it can account for an additional 1,000 deaths in Americans per year. That’s a substantial amount for such a small machine.
The solution, obviously, is not to ditch A/C units and just suffer in a heat stroke. Dr. Nandi explains that this is a long-term problem that must be addressed moving forward in our society, because it is irrational to think we could phase out the items that keep us so cool every day. For now, limiting your A/C usage could be the best way to deal with this issue, but scientists are now aware of this upcoming problem. Undoubtedly, solutions will arise within the next few years to curb this increased fossil fuel emission.
