Keeping cool saves thousands of lives yearly, but at a cost of worsening global warming, experts say
Experts highlight the paradox that while air conditioning saves thousands of lives during heat waves, it simultaneously contributes to global warming through high energy consumption and fossil fuel reliance. Governments are now exploring regulatory limits on cooling to mitigate environmental impacts.
Why it matters
Balancing immediate public health needs against long-term climate change goals is a critical challenge for global urban planning.
Cooling from air conditioning saves lives — more than 5,000 a year in the United States alone — but it also heats up the planet and taxes our electrical grid, scientists say.
As the world warms, heat waves strike nearly every continent and United Nations officials estimate that about half a million people die a year from heat, air conditioning is needed and being used more than ever. A study in Nature Health reported Monday that air conditioning saved nearly 58,000 lives between 2010 and 2020 in the U.S. Air conditioning use is skyrocketing around the world, with electricity demand from cooling expected to triple, according to the International Energy Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme.
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