Air Conditioning Is the World's Next Big Threat

The vast majority of Americans have air conditioning but in Germany almost nobody does. At least not yet. 1 

Air conditioners help keep people cool, but at
the same time can worsen climate change. 

So when temperatures in Berlin rose to an uncomfortable 37 Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) this week – a record for the month of June – I was uncommonly delighted to go to the Bloomberg office, where it’s artificially and blissfully cool.

By letting people in overheated climates concentrate on their work and get a good night’s sleep, air conditioning has played a big part in driving global prosperity and happiness over the past few decades – and that revolution has still barely begun. About half of Chinese households have this modern tool, but of the 1.6 billion people living in India and Indonesia, only 88 million have access to air conditioning at home, Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted in a recent report.

For many, relief is in sight. Because of the combination of population growth, rising incomes, falling equipment prices and urbanization, the number of air-conditioning units installed globally is set to jump from about 1.6 billion today to 5.6 billion by the middle of the century, according to the International Energy Agency.

Read the story Bloomberg story by Chris Bryant - “Air Conditioning Is the World's Next Big Threat.”

Planners urged to do the cool thing and green their cities

Our cities are getting hotter, more crowded and noisier. Climate change is bringing more heatwaves, placing pressure on human health, urban amenity, productivity and infrastructure.

Urban residents naturally want to stay cool. Air conditioning is the usual choice, but it can be expensive to run. Air conditioning also adds carbon pollution, creates noise and can make outdoor spaces hotter.

So what else can we do to manage increasing urban heat? And who has the ability to act?

Read this piece by a lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning at Griffith University, Tony Matthews, and an Associate Professor of Environmental Planning, also at Griffith University, Jason Byrne on The Conversation,  -  “If planners understand it’s cool to green cities, what’s stopping them?”

Dubai discussion about biggest climate threat 'you;ve never heard of'

T

he biggest global warming battle you’ve never heard of kicks off in Dubai this weekend.

Climate negotiators from across the globe will gather in the Persian Gulf city to debate how to get rid of hydrofluorocarbons -- a class of hundreds of artificial chemicals used in refrigerators, air-conditioners, fire suppressants and other widely used products. While less common than greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane, HFCs can be thousands of times more potent, pound for pound, at heating up the planet.

They’re also gaining in popularity as demand for air conditioning, refrigeration and other services is expected to soar in developing countries in coming decades. The result: HFCs are now the world’s fastest growing greenhouse gases and projected to rise even more in the future.

Read the Bloomberg Business story - “Worst Climate Threat You Never Heard of Is Stronger Than CO2.”