Title: Air Conditioner and Health: Is My Air Conditioning Killing Me? | Time
Headings: You Asked: Is My Air Conditioner Killing Me?
You Asked: Is My Air Conditioner Killing Me?
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Content: If this seesawing between AC’s benefits and risks feels disorienting, you’re not alone. “ Anyone who does research on these systems will admit there’s still a lot of things we don’t know,” Mendell says. What isn’t in doubt, though, is air conditioning’s very real and harmful impact on the planet. “The headline issue is its contribution to greenhouse warming,” says Cox, the Land Institute environmental researcher. Indoor heating has long been a bigger contributor than AC to the accumulation of harmful greenhouse gasses, Cox says. But the U.S. population’s southward shift has allowed AC to catch up—and maybe draw even. Despite his concern for the planet, Cox says that AC can be life saving and beneficial. But he takes issue with what he calls our “lavish” use of any climate control conveniences. Setting our thermostats a bit higher in summer and a little lower in winter would benefit the environment without affecting anyone’s health, he says. In fact, a little thermal discomfort could be good for you.