Air Conditioning Use Escalates Global Warming Despite Saving Lives in the U.S.
Air conditioning (AC) is saving over 5,000 lives annually in the U.S. by mitigating the effects of extreme heat, according to a study in Nature Health. However, this life-saving technology is simultaneously contributing to global warming and straining electrical grids. As global temperatures rise and heat waves become more frequent across continents, the demand for AC is skyrocketing. The International Energy Agency and the UN Environment Programme project that electricity demand for cooling will triple. Yale epidemiology professor Kai Chen, a senior author of the study, notes that while AC is essential for saving lives, its reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation leads to increased carbon emissions. The UN estimates that heat-trapping gas emissions from AC use are expected to rise from 4.5 billion tons to 7.2 billion tons in the next 25 years, a figure nearly equivalent to the current carbon pollution from the U.S. and Europe combined. 
