Climate Scientist: Would you give up AC to save the planet?
Climate scientist Stan Cox is calling on all Americans to do their part in the fight against global warming by turning off their air conditioners during hot summer months.
“The greenhouse gases created by the roughly 90% of American households that own AC units mean that running them even in balmy temperatures is making the climate crisis worse,” argues Cox, author of Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World and The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can.
“The climate impact of air conditioning and refrigeration, which together already account for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions from all sources, is expected to double in the next 25 years,” wrote Cox in a June 2024 article. “If that happens, the world’s nations will be thrown even further off track when it comes to fulfilling their pledge to meet UN climate goals.”
Cox, who refers to this cooling/heating catch-22 as “the feedback loop from hell,” has personally sweated through 25 summers without air conditioning. Instead, Cox and his wife use electric fans and frequently spray their bodies with water. “A quick, cold shower or a little time spent with that all-American favorite, the lawn sprinkler, also can bring relief,” says Cox.
The overuse of air conditioning has also had a negative impact on society, explains Cox: “Front porches, yards, sidewalks, playgrounds, and parks that abounded with human life on pleasant 80-degree evenings before the era of ubiquitous air conditioning are now largely deserted for much of the summer.”
Another thing Americans can do to reduce their carbon footprint, suggests Cox, is avoid using humidity-producing utilities like dishwashers and keep refrigerators at the highest possible temperature to avoid food spoilage.
Eventually, he insists, most people can become accustomed to life without AC.
“Our species evolved, biologically and culturally, under wildly varying climate conditions, and we haven’t lost that ability to adapt. Research suggests that when we spend more time in warm or hot summer weather, we can start feeling comfortable at temperatures that once felt insufferable.”
Stan Cox began his science career with the US Department of Agriculture and now serves as the Ecosphere Fellow at the Land Institute. In addition to his beef with air conditioning, Cox has described the US military as an “enemy” in the fight against global warming.
Author’s Note: Regardless of the facts, asking millions of people to forgo air conditioning is not a practical or safe solution – especially as large parts of the world continue to experience dangerous heat waves. Cox himself admits that his AC-avoiding strategies will not work for everyone. He and his wife are fortunate enough to live in a small town in Kansas with ample shade trees, plenty of nearby parks, and a cool basement.
Sources:
Scientist calls for Americans to cut off air conditioning in summer, claiming it causes global warming
Stan Cox Official Website (Resilience)
Air Conditioning Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It
Interesting article Alice as a competent journalist with a 360 view. Thanks. I spent my teen years in DC area without AC due to cheap Mom. We had central air but she would not fix the freon. I used to mist my bed before hoping in, get about 4 hours waking up in a sweat, mist again, and fall back asleep. Yech. In pollution, one area often forgotten is ships and shipping. They own about 3% of the world’s pollution which is not the biggest offender except there are virtually no controls so the ability to do better is higher. For example, if we simply said we will take our Chinese crap in two weeks instead of a week, and we slowed the boats —- much pollution can be stopped. Here are some pieces.
*https://newatlas.com/shipping-pollution/11526/*
*https://www.statista.com/chart/27353/worst-black-carbon-polluters/*
Myself, I own a very old house where the farmer placed it to take advantage of solar. Not quite facing South, it faces solar South to capture as much heat in Spring and Fall as possible. In summer, as the sun moves higher in the sky, overhangs shade the upper part of the house.
Over the years, I have added much to mitigate the heat and cold. Some really simple, like a semi-gloss paint to reflect more sun. An attic venting and fan system to drain all that heat off. My 48 sq ft of skylight that drops sunlight to a solar tile floor is solar-shaded, so even though 30 feet up, the solar batteries push silver solar shades to reflect the heat. Shading any skylight is a real help. I had a solar sunroom next to this room pushing well over 100 degrees, warping doors, fading anything, a 2 ft thick floor with air channels to generate more heat. I put in normal windows, blocked the air channels, ceramic tile to insulate the floor, added the overhang, and insulated the living hell out of it. It’s now a thermos bottle that cools the entire house with it’s 50-degree floor. Also houses my safe space where no tornado will crush. Now my hottest room is the coolest until late afternoon.
I have insulated shades on all windows. My attic insulation is way above government specs thank you Obama energy program rebates. Matter of fact, all of my energy improvements have rebates attached. I study the programs in January to budget yearly improvement investments. So, AC had energy credits, medical credits (wife has medical reason for ac), power company rebates. Obama’s energy program did the attic and some doors — I find those tax credits to really help the middle class like myself find the initiative to lower energy costs and improve quality of life.
This year I installed my first solar sail; a cheap trick to block the sun from much of my western wall and shades my back deck too. Had to do it after cutting down all the trees close to the house due to our recent extreme storms. One missed me by less than 20 feet in a microburst. It’s so cool, basically a curved triangle of grommeted permeable plastic on block and tackle and I can lower it in 5 minutes right into my craftsman footlocker, when the wind and rain come. It has worked fantastic to mitigate the heat coming off that wall. Added trampoline springs to be able to take bigger winds. While I think the cost savings is minimal, the quality-of-life improvement in the late afternoons on those sunny days is huge. Looks rad too and the install was super easy. Just some pulleys and cleats like 12 screws total. It was not very expensive and works so well that I am looking for a spiffier pattern, maybe cloth, for next year, maybe some clouds…..
My AC uses variable speed motors to conserve energy and improve quality. Also have ionizers and hepa filters for dust and stuff. Instead of fans, I use air scrubbers to move the air around. In summer, I manage the temp based on humidity. I find I can have quite high temps IF the humidity is low. I can feel cool at 80 if humidity is in low 50’s. So I run up the temps in the day, but reduce temps at night when sun is down, temps are dropping, and then start the circle of life the next day. Most of my management is smart phone based so ez. Still expensive to run as AC is by far my biggest use of electric. And I have three fridges / freezers which are energy efficient, but too much. Covid hangover….
The one issue I will always have is huge house, very old, and no matter what I do, air will infiltrate somewhere. Biggest problem now is cathedral ceilings with 1970’s technology badly implemented. It’s a devil of a problem to fix that I am sure newer houses don’t face.
I have taken lots of steps but AC still the 800lb electric gorilla and I don’t see me changing beyond adopting other ideas to reduce the heat generated in the house. For heat, I use a lot of clean, renewable pellets, and with everything, probably took 25-33% out of my energy bills while being warmer, cooler, than ever.
I would never ask someone to do without ac or heat but can show folks how doing a little can save money and improve your life’s quality; the best place to start is often attic insulation and fans. I am living proof that, with proper investment, you can save money and be either warmer or cooler depending on season. That’s the type of green I really like. Doing without; not so much.
I imagine were this individual lives, the weather is Not hot.
So I would implore this individual to give up Heat instead!
More damage can be sustained through heat than cooling!
Typical EGG HEAD thinking!
Exactly, and much less when they have not proved their theories to begin with!
I will compromise and turn off my air conditioning during the cold months.
Hahaha, me too!
Has he lived in the south especially Florida, South Georgia, and Arizona? I would like to put him in a house with no AC!!!! He will want to be in the raw and with a towel! What a nitwit!
NO
Americans (mainly the Conservative Voters): Hello. You don’t see the well-to-do elites giving up ANYTHING for an overkill unnecessary perversion of control by them imposed upon the masses of our Citizens.
NO-CAN-DO for that bogus overkill imposition. NOT necessary…just let the American public use fossil fuels. SOLVED.
Blauglas: in the case of this liberal, you are right and you are wrong.
You are right that I am warmer in winter, cooler in summer, and drive farther than before even at $4 a gallon.
But I went from a Explorer in one car, my beloved wrx in another to hybrids. So I gave up speed and performance for the cause.
I also gave up other things that the money could buy to up the passive solar, renewable fuel for pellets that I now store and haul after building a space for six tons, pallets, each year unlike cold hearted fools that only live for cheap oil. Myself, I tend to smile at $4 gas since I am saving more while laughing at your simpering whining.
I recommend no mandates, just incentives to pollute less. Your choice, but I invested, got a hefty discount via all sorts of heath and energy tax credits, and you paid more for oil. I went green, cut my fossil fuel and electric costs by 30%, hit my breakeven on investment in a few years, and am using more but spinning off profit today. Yes, I will evolve to an EV too, evaluating now. The prices and credits have never been higher. And with Harris in office, I expect them to continue or get even better. Otherwise, I would have to purchase by EOY :>)
Did you keep you incandescent lights too? Wanna buy some more?
You mentioned $4.00 per gallon. Remember that four years ago it was cheaper
Dan;
Yes, and before that more expensive.
Amazingly I get 50mpgs at any price so I just don’t care as much as some. And better yet, cut pollution by 40% over gas only engines.
It has a really neat design, it’s electric supported gas vs, traditional gas supported electric, so they rule the short haul, I do better on the highway. Since I was commuting some, made sense. Performance wise, it sucks, but I knew it, chose it, and now live with that.
To your real point, gas doesn’t affect me as much as many. Covid deaths are being told to drink bleach, it will be gone, and watching 250,000 die because someone responded worse than 227 other countries on a per capita death basisis the first thing I remember.
Gas below $3 now, NTW. Google covid deaths by country wiki, set table low/high on deaths/million, scroll to bottom, and move up about a dozen rows. Yeah, we suck that bad. That’s my top memory from four years ago, gas was not even a glimmer, survival was job one.
Conservatives will see this article as woke. Alice is really putting herself out there for a drubbing by PBP’s target market politically. First, the common Republican folk distrust climate scientists and experts in general. Although, Alice does not advocate for or against the author’s suggestion. As the conduit of this story she bravely put it forward into the PBP maw.
PBP option commentary is not an exact science but they do toy with experimentation like tossing red meat into an enclosure containing several hungry tigers. There is no doubt what the result will be.
Second, high mpg hybrid cars have to be the future for automakers. I switched to a hybrid and was encouraged by its efficiency. It’s a full-size sedan and it produces 50mph in town driving. Americans of the less than moderate political stripe love power in their driving machines that drink fuel like it’ll last forever at affordable price per gallon. In your dreams guys. USA fuel prices are singularly the lowest in the world. The UK and EU pay 3-4 times more. They have made the adjustment by downsizing to smaller more efficient cars not manufactured in North America..
Climate change is not a future problem. It’s been upon us for at least the last decade. Weather, temperature, and glaciers shrinking with iceberg melt drowning. Ignoring a problem does not make it disappear, denying its existence is a sure mistake, and not investing in resource saving technologies will make for forced chamge and more expensive measures. That assumes we are in time.