Is aircon the answer to a heating world?

Global heat records are driving a massive surge in air conditioning use, with ten new units expected to be installed every second for the next thirty years. While air conditioning is a life-saving technology that makes tropical regions habitable and prevents heat-related deaths—such as the 30,000 fatalities recorded in Europe this past summer—it simultaneously fuels a vicious cycle of environmental degradation. The high energy demand of these units threatens to collapse electrical grids and increases carbon emissions, which further warms the planet and necessitates even more cooling. To mitigate these impacts, passive cooling strategies like shading with trees or blinds can reduce solar gain without intensive energy use. Transitioning to sustainable energy sources to power necessary cooling systems remains critical for breaking the feedback loop between human comfort and climate change. Interestingly, modern air conditioning originated in 1902 not for human comfort, but as a industrial tool to dry ink at a printing company.