Environment
8 Charts on How Americans Use Air Conditioning
The U.S. government’s long-running Residential Energy Consumption Survey includes a lot of data on our A/C habits—and some surprises.
Summer has arrived, which in the United States means two things: air conditioning, and arguing about air conditioning.
The century-old technology for cooling our buildings has brought newfound summer comfort and enabled migration to and jobs in hot climates. It’s also the cause of constant bickering, since humans can’t agree on how much—if at all—we should be using air conditioning as the summer heat blares down. A/C is both a cause of and a response to a warming planet.