I just got back to the US from Europe, and I feel you!
Have you read Ministry of the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson? His first chapter vividly describes the suffering of people in Uttar Pradesh on a hot, wet day when there is a blackout and AC isn't available. It's frightening and meant to make real the need to stop climate change. But my immediate reaction was: Why in the world would we let it get this bad, even if temperatures rise--why not build more, reliable power and ensure AC is available? It is truly a life-saving technology, if combined with a reliable electrical grid, of course.
Great article - is there more information on the potential for passive cooling (trees to reduce urban heat island effect, painting rooftops white, better ventilation etc)?
I just got back to the US from Europe, and I feel you!
Have you read Ministry of the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson? His first chapter vividly describes the suffering of people in Uttar Pradesh on a hot, wet day when there is a blackout and AC isn't available. It's frightening and meant to make real the need to stop climate change. But my immediate reaction was: Why in the world would we let it get this bad, even if temperatures rise--why not build more, reliable power and ensure AC is available? It is truly a life-saving technology, if combined with a reliable electrical grid, of course.
Great article - is there more information on the potential for passive cooling (trees to reduce urban heat island effect, painting rooftops white, better ventilation etc)?