Slowing Down Global Warming: Air Conditioning

Bible Verses, Practical, and Personal Change

By Rosalie Brown

Walk, gentle in my world.
Let it flow through your becoming.
Lift up your soul,
And sing in a strong voice.

        With Indian Paintbrush near Tamarak Ridge, CA             
        By Frank Saxton

AC is the single largest cause of global warming. (The hotter it gets the hotter it is going to get)

Change #1:   Raise your thermostat a few more degrees.                   

  • Augment or increase the use of fans.
  • Turn the AC off for a short time in the morning while you open your doors and windows and let the cool air in.
  • For new construction, consider one of the modern ‘coolers’. It’s comfortable and you’ll save on your electric bill.

Change #2:   Keep thinking all the time about ways to save the planet. Share your ideas.

3 thoughts on “Slowing Down Global Warming: Air Conditioning

  1. Larry Miller says:

    I would be interested in learning the source for the claim that AC is the single largest source of global warming; I have not heard this before
    Thank you

  2. Larry Miller says:

    I would be interested in learning the source for the claim that AC is the single largest source of global warming. I have not heard this before; thank you

    • Peter Wall says:

      Hi Larry,

      I agree with you. I’m not sure it’s an accurate claim, and I haven’t been able to find an authoritative source to back it up. The EPA has published a list of greenhouse gas sources, but it doesn’t break down into things like air conditioning. But air conditioning certainly contributes in the categories of “Electricity,” “Transportation,” and “Commercial/Residential,” as shown in the EPA materials.

      My understanding is that air conditioning contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, both in the possible leakage of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and in use of energy generated that causes emissions. The HFC issue can be mitigated individually by getting your air conditioner serviced to ensure it is working properly and not leaking, collectively by work to replace HFCs with other refrigerants, and also by promoting better development patterns and architectural methods. The energy issue can be mitigated individually also by getting your air conditioner serviced to ensure that it is working efficiently (and by having the most efficient model you can afford, to begin with), and collectively by promoting the generation of electricity by means that produce the least emissions possible.

      So, in general, I think Rosalie’s recommendations in the post are good ones. I think they also need to be accompanied by efforts to improve intuitive understandings, and the spread of ethical principles, and collective action through the political process.

      Here are some other helpful sources that I found, in addition to the EPA information:

      A 2016 New York Times Article, “How Bad Is Your Air-Conditioner for the Planet?

      A 2018 article from Science, “As countries crank up the AC, emissions of potent greenhouse gases are likely to skyrocket

      A 2019 article from Inside Climate News, “Fast-Rising Demand for Air Conditioning Is Adding to Global Warming. The Numbers Are Striking.

Leave a Reply to Peter Wall Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *