Air conditioning units, whether it be gas or electric, all contribute to our individual carbon footprints. They emit major amounts of HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) and are, on average, responsible for the release of 100 million tons of carbon dioxide yearly just in the United States alone. According the National Geographic, HCFCs have been outlawed in more industrialized nations such as the United States and been replaced with ozone-safe cooling agents. But in more developing countries, they will not be outlawed until at least 2040 due to HCFCs being cheaper to use than the less harmful, ozone-safe chemicals. As explained above, nations are already starting to work towards a cleaner environment. How can we as citizens contribute to the bettering the air conditioning issue? We can do simple things such as turn the heat up a few degrees more than usual or keep it just a little bit colder in the winter to help preserve more energy. If you live in extremely hot or cold locations, this can be a bit challenging, coming from a girl who lives Houston. But what I've found usefu l when my family decides to turn the heat up in the summer is to use battery operated, yet powerful, fans. This way you're keeping cool and saving electricity at the same time. Next time you want to turn down the temperature a bit to keep comfortable, try to remember this issue and remind yourself what you can do to try and fix it.
Source: http://environment.nationalgeographic.c … al-impact/