The case against air conditioning

A record-setting heat wave on the East Coast offers a case study of why we need less air conditioning in our lives, not more, says Stan Cox at the Washington Post

Air conditioning
(Image credit: Flickr - Tinou Bao)

Americans have become far too reliant on air-conditioning, says Stan Cox in The Washington Post. At home and at work, our lives would be a lot more civilized and sustainable if we eschewed energy-hogging A.C. and relied instead on more time-tested techniques for staying cool. "Shorter summer business hours and month-long closings -- common in pre-air-conditioned America" -- would become the norm again (siesta, anyone?). And "rather than cowering alone in chilly home-entertainment rooms," people would spend more time outside, grilling and getting to know their neighbors. All in all, "saying goodbye to air conditioning means saying hello to the world." Here's an excerpt:

Washington didn't grind to a sweaty halt last week under triple-digit temperatures. People didn't even slow down. Instead, the three-day, 100-plus-degree, record-shattering heat wave prompted Washingtonians to crank up their favorite humidity-reducing, electricity-bill-busting, fluorocarbon-filled appliance: the air conditioner.

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