Can We Solve the Air Conditioning Paradox?

We’re on PATREON! Join the community
https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓

As the Earth warms due to human-caused climate change, billions of people in the developing world will face life-threatening heat waves, raising the demand for air conditioning. But powering all of that cooling is going to take more energy, which will require burning more fossil fuels! Are there new air conditioning technologies on the horizon that could solve this paradox?

NOTE: A previous version of this video had a graph at 6:19 with incorrect values. The video has been updated with the correct graph.

Aerial photography by Jeff Arnold
Written by Eli Kintisch and Joe Hanson

SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub

-----------

High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons:

Millennial Glacier
paul andre bouis
Mark Littlehale
Ali Freiburger
Mehdi Damou
Barbora Bei
Burt Humburg
dani bowman
David Johnston
Salih Arslan
Baerbel Winkler
Robert Young
Eric Meer
Dustin
Karen Haskell

Join us on Patreon!
https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart

Instagram
http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart

Merch
https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

This episode of Be Smart is licensed exclusively to YouTube.