Putting a stop to air conditioners can reduce climate change
Do you hate how warm the weather keeps getting and quickly turn on the AC to get rid of your sweating warm body? You are not alone!
About 7.2% of the Pakistan Air Conditioner market is forecasted to expand at an annual growth rate from 2017 till 2023.
Regardless of the political conflicts and security concerns, the Pakistan air conditioner market is increasing at a strong rate due to the booming
disposable revenue and growing middle-class population.
However, the growing use of air-conditioners does not dismiss its contribution towards increasing climate change.
Why Air-conditioners are bad for us?
Air conditioners may make us feel comfortable, chill, and relaxed but they are doing the opposite to the earth we live upon. Instead of chilling, it is heating temperatures and making it hotter!
The usage of Air conditioners is rampant all over the world. The Department of Energy calculates that home air conditioning takes up around 6 percent of the entire electricity generated in the U.S.A. at a yearly expense of approximately $29 billion to homeowners. In consequence, about 117 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are discharged into the air every year.
However, not every tool designed for the hot weather is gaining a negative impact on the environment. The climate has not suddenly changed into more heat, rather a gradual increase in the temperature over time. Thus, heat and summers have always been a struggle for people. Humans have been discovering new ways to persist a scorching summer day for a long time, and still will continue. The difference now is the climate and the level of heat that is to be dealt with.
Air conditioners have been an effective way out of the heat since the 1990s. Relief from immense heat can save lives, which is why developed cities establish free cooling centers, as they are not considered a luxury. In hypothesis, if an individual is suffering from heatstroke, or a heatwave is surfacing in the region, would the individual turn off the cooling AC to not contribute to climate change? Air conditioners are a source of relief.
However, they are still a luxury unlike other cooling tools such as fans. In the United States, even though 90 percent of households are air-conditioned, the percentage of low-income homes that have no air conditioning is approximately double that of high-income households.
It depends on the level of threat of heat; if the high temperature is irritating but not significantly life-endangering, there are more economical technology-based techniques and devices with fewer enviroment affecting methods to cool down than air conditioning. These tips are from the Umbra archives and contain tips for the old girl on gentle heat relief because it appears she’s been advocating this problem for many years providing valid information and advice.
In the 21st century, there are various options one can explore that can cool your sweats and also the earth at the same time. Here are some alternative options to air conditioners that are energy efficient and better for the enviroment!
Windows
A majority chunk of the cooling in your home can be achieved through mere physics such as the treatment of windows and fan placements.
Quite a portion of the high temperature up to 40 percent reaches by your windows. The remedy to this is for you to block light and air from invading your residence during the time of hot weather.
If you don’t have window shades, then shutters or window covers are the best alternatives as they block the sun before it reaches the window glass. The best options are even thick reflective interior shades that will ease the cooling inside and prevent the house from getting hot.
The process is simple, open the windows if the weather is cool and breezy, but close then and keep the block on the sun when the sun is out and the weather is hot!
Another technique is to open the window a little for the incoming breeze and another window where the air is leaving completely open. The window taking the air out should place an out-facing window fan, which will pull the air through the house. This method is applicable with two windows even if they are facing each other, you may get some heat relief by opening both, putting an inward fan on one and an outward on the other.
Fans
A little army of fans is often more energy-saving than air conditioning units that are energy conserving!
If fans are already doing the job of cooling you down and removing the sweats, then stick to them as they are better than room air conditioners. Air conditioners also carry refrigerants that damage the environment, and it’s always better to avoid using them.
The trick is to install fans according to your own needs; If your current fans are not sufficient then look for other options such as ceiling fans, floor fans, and only opt for window air conditions if the heat is unbearable and a health risk.
Swamp Cooler
A creation of Katie Herzog and Jesse Nichols is shown in this do-it-yourself video. The technique is to wrap a fan inside a bucket, and it apparently blows cool air at you. Do try this experimentative method at home and see for yourself!
