Justice
New York Stores: Stop Pumping Frigid Air Onto the Sidewalks
Wasted air conditioning has major environmental impacts and can make consumers hotter and more miserable.
Summertime pedestrians know the thrill of walking down a sidewalk and feeling a spine-tickling blast of frigid air from a storefront door. But a new effort by New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs is trying to recast that occurrence as an irresponsible business practice that violates the laws of man and nature.
The “Shut the Front Door!” initiative kicked off Wednesday with an estimated 200 volunteers fanning out across the five boroughs to chat with businesses about the true costs of pumping air conditioning into the ether, while tweeting about it with #BeCoolSaveFuel. The volunteers reminded some 5,000 businesses about Local Law 38, passed in 2008 to ban open door A/C at large chains or stores with more than 4,000 square feet.