AC Feels Great, But It’s Terrible for the Planet. Here’s How to Fix That
Eric Dean Wilson argues that modern [[air conditioning]]—originally developed for industry and later popularized for comfort—has created serious environmental and social harms. The invention of [[Freon]] enabled sealed modern architecture and mass adoption, but its class of chemicals, [[CFCs]], destroyed stratospheric ozone until the [[Montreal Protocol]] curtailed them. Their replacements, [[HFCs]], avoid ozone depletion yet are extremely potent greenhouse gases, and air conditioners also drive massive electricity demand that stresses grids and increases emissions. Wilson traces how cooling reshaped cities, housing, and labor, deepened social and racial inequalities in access to comfort, and amplifies urban heat through waste heat. He urges a shift from individualized cooling toward public cooling solutions—shade, trees, public centers, smarter design—and faster refrigerant and energy transitions to reduce both heat vulnerability and the climate damage caused by ubiquitous cooling.