Les Jones

Environment > If only there was something New Yorkers could put in the window to make the house cool

OR,

No BBQ, no sweet iced tea, and now this?

Reuters - Heat may kill hundreds of New Yorkers:

The number of heat-related deaths in and around New York City will nearly double by 2050 - and could rise as high as 95 percent -- due to global warming, if no efforts are made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a new study shows.

If only there was some kind of box New Yorkers could put in their window to make the house cooler. That would get them out of this mess.

Reading further down, it turns out the study's authors are familiar with this air conditioning, or "AC":

By 2050, heat-related deaths would increase by 95 percent a year based on the worst-case, high-emissions scenario, a figure reduced to 68 percent when the researchers accounted for acclimatization to the heat with increased air conditioning, heat alerts and other adaptations. Under the lower emissions projection, deaths would increase by 71 percent, or 47 percent with acclimatization.

To recap, New York heat deaths could be mitigated by a concerted international effort to reduce greenhouse gases and global warming, an effor that would almost surely disrupt the global economy. Or people could install AC units. Which do you think is more likely? Which one requires the least government intervention in your life?

"The urban areas, the suburbs, and the countryside are all going to be affected by these hotter temperatures," Knowlton said. No matter where they live, she added, poor people will likely have a tougher time coping with rising temperatures, given that many may not have air conditioning, or may be reluctant to use it due to electrical costs.

But in light of global warming their higher cooling bills in the summer will be offset by lower heating bills in the winter. Likewise, since we're speaking of increased summer deaths due to heat, it's fair to note that we can expect fewer winter deaths due to cold. Global warming is stern, but fair. Global warming giveth, and global warming taketh away.

According to Knowlton, the best and fairest approach to reducing excess heat deaths due to global warming will be to introduce strong regulation of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. "That kind of regulation is going to afford us the strongest prevention in an equitable way."

That kind of regulation will impoverish poor, developing nations who haven't yet had a chance to build their infrastructures and economies with cheap fuel, or to grow through the inevitable phase of dirty industrialism. How that's equitable I'll never know. Even in first world countries you can expect millions to lose their jobs in the economic upheaval. But it will all be worth it if a single New Yorker doesn't have to spring for an air conditioning unit.