Not just for rich people: the progressive case for air conditioning
6 hours ago
- #Energy Efficiency
- #Public Infrastructure
- #Climate Adaptation
- Air conditioning can bring both benefits and harms, such as increased emissions and external air temperatures.
- Efficiency should be fundamental to any leftwing air-conditioning policy, criticizing inefficient, isolated installations.
- Cooling buildings without addressing insulation and shading is wasteful, like 'running a bath with the plug out'.
- In some cases, moderate air conditioning is sensible if used alongside lower-emissions cooling methods.
- Public transport exemplifies strategic air con use for public health, contrasting with resource misallocation in private taxis.
- Air conditioning, like cars, can be emancipatory if deployed strategically with regulation, not as a market-led free-for-all.
- Extreme heat adaptation offers opportunities for skilled jobs and public ownership in the cooling sector.
- Licensing should require lower-emissions cooling strategies before granting air-con permits to prevent inequitable use.
- The solution involves a mix of tactics, including tree planting, shading, insulation, and ventilation, with air conditioning as a complementary measure.