Have We Become Addicted to Air Conditioning

Air-conditioning often referred to as AC, is the process that creates and maintains a certain temperature, relative humidity, and air purity conditions in indoor spaces in order to improve the home comfort.

In general, an air-conditioning system must be effective in modifying air (heating, cooling, dehumidifying, cleaning) regardless of outside climatic factors and keeping us comfortable.

AC can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. It’s often used in industrial applications to ensure specific environmental conditions or to cool and dehumidify the air to protect some delicate products such as artwork.

One way or another AC made its way into our lives. It is used in almost every object such as hospitals, schools, libraries, museums, homes… Now the questions arise: Can we ever consider living or working in a room without an air conditioner, have we become addicted to air conditioning?

According to researches, the need for AC in the US has only increased over the past years. The Us has become the world leader in air conditioning. We consume more energy through air conditioning than the rest of the world combined. It is also noticed that nearly every object keep their windows open while AC is running. Vehicle air conditioners consume 7 to 10 bn gallons of petrol annually, not to mention emission of carbon dioxide into the air which affects the health of every living organism.

We used to turn on the AC whenever we like for how long we want and adjust it to whatever temperature suits us regardless of outside climatic conditions.

Many studies showed that there is an association between outdoor and indoor air temperature and health. Changing indoor climate drastically may result in significant health problems and also contribute to the urban heat island effect.

So whenever you feel too hot or too cold please keep in mind that setting your AC to an optimal temperature can save your health and environment. The best way for everyone to feel just right during summer is to set your AC to cooling 75 degrees Fahrenheit, for the winter set it on 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

And remember, do not go overboard on setting high temperatures, small behavioral changes can make a huge difference.