Air conditioners are our best bet in the fight against extreme heat – whether we like it or not

Global AC demand will inevitably accelerate as the world continues to warm amid the climate crisis

The greenest campaigners against climate change have long suffered from a crippling shortcoming: they too often frame the challenge as a problem of excess consumption. This motivates calls to “degrow” the economy and to curb the population. The claim is that humans consume too many resources, which in the context of climate change means too much energy.

Nowhere has the tension between this proposition and reality become more palpable during this sweltering summer than in the conversation over air conditioning.