The Case Against Air Conditioning-Stan Cox
This essay discusses why America should stop using air conditioners in daily life, except for the exception of hospitals, archives, and cooling centers. The author supports his claim by offering examples of what Washington would look like without air conditioners at work, at home, and throughout the city. Cox begins by using contemporary examples of people using air conditioners. He thinks it will help us by making communities friendlier, regulations more lenient, and climate change less of a problem. Because Washington residents' homes had air conditioning, they were spared the worst of the heat. In addition to increasing electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions, air conditioners also reduce heat. Since the early 1990s, American power consumption has doubled. America used very few air conditioning devices less than 50 years ago. By using fewer air conditioners, Americans can go back to their pre-air conditioning state. Only critical locations like hospitals, archives, and cooling centers should be permitted to employ air conditioning equipment. If air conditioners can no longer be used in homes, the author envisions a very lovely America. He gives the name of three places of the usage of air conditions:
At work: All offices will have huge open windows, ceiling fans, window fans, and desk fans, and American offices would look like they did before air conditioners were introduced. The government will also be required to give its employees extra holidays if we do away with air conditioning. This will assist in resolving the current climate change issues.
At home: To allow in the fresh air and cold air, the homeowners will open their windows, which are currently generally closed out of fear of robbery and other crimes. People will now construct high ceilings with better cross-ventilators and windows, install more fans, and paint their roofs white to reflect solar rays to make their homes cool and comfortable to live in during the hot seasons.
Around town: Because there are more people outside, there will be less crime and people will feel safer. Deaths of elderly people inside their apartments will also decline because they will be spending more time outside.