AIR CONDITIONERS WORLDWIDE MAY TRIPLE ENERGY USE IN THREE DECADES, WORSENING CLIMATE CHANGE
Summer is right around the corner, promising the scent of saltwater and sunscreen, the taste of ice cream and the whir of air conditioners putting a chill in the air. At least, that's how it goes in countries like the U.S., Japan and South Korea.
But many of the hottest countries in the world, like India, haven't fully embraced air-conditioning yet, and experts expect they'll do so within the next few decades. That process could put a huge strain on the world's electricity production system and exacerbate climate change, according to a recent report published by the International Energy Agency, a nongovernmental organization representing 30 countries including the U.S.
Cooling the indoors already eats up about a tenth of electricity used worldwide, between air conditioners and fans. But according to the new report, we should expect that energy use to triple as the number of air-conditioning units skyrockets over the next three decades.
