Air conditioning has drastically changed modern life and the ways cities have developed. But, the environmental consequences are immense, and it’s time to cut back.

"Buying an air conditioner is perhaps the most popular individual response to climate change, and air conditioners are almost uniquely power-hungry appliances: a small unit cooling a single room, on average, consumes more power than running four fridges, while a central unit cooling an average house uses more power than 15," writes Stephen Buranyi in a feature piece that traces the history of air conditioning.
There are more than 1 billion single-room air conditioning units in the world today, and that number is expected to rise to 4.5 billion by 2050. But air conditioning was not always the norm, says Buranyi. Before the late 1940s, it was a novelty, but then it took off in the United States as builders and architects looked to put homes in inhospitable climates and energy companies worked to increase consumer demand.
Since then, air conditioning has helped fuel urbanism and the rise of cities around the world as part of the spread of globalization. Solutions to addressing the use of air conditioning include improving the technology, reclaiming design strategies that worked before air conditioning was available, and changing the perception that it is a necessity. "Cutting down on air conditioning doesn’t mean leaving modernity behind, but it does require facing up to some of its consequences," notes Buranyi.
FULL STORY: The air conditioning trap: how cold air is heating the world

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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