Air Conditioning

Despite hundreds of heat-related deaths every year, the city has no regulations on cooling in residential units.

August 5, 2024 - Word In Black

Even in the depths of extreme heat, many shelters prohibit residents from installing AC units.

July 18, 2024 - The New York Times

The group wants to draw attention to the dangers of extreme heat and encourage tenants to organize to demand improved conditions.

July 16, 2024 - Next City

The state is bracing for a heat dome that will bring temperatures into the 120s and little nighttime relief.

July 2, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

This summer is predicted to be one of the hottest on record, and heat waves will likely put physical and social infrastructure to the test.

June 28, 2024 - Diana Ionescu

Cooling mechanisms built into traditional architecture offer lessons for U.S. builders as heat waves grow more intense.

August 7, 2023 - Time Magazine

A state bill requiring landlords to allow tenants to install portable air conditioners comes with a raft of exemptions that could restrict the most affordable options.

July 27, 2022 - KPTV

With temperatures reaching record highs in cities around the country, local officials are implementing measures to ensure vulnerable residents have adequate cooling.

July 24, 2022 - Next City

Ventilator availability is a major indicator for states in the South and West that are seeing record hospitalizations, but in New York, where Gov. Cuomo announced that New York City had moved to Phase III of reopening, the topic was ventilation.

July 9, 2020 - Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Air conditioning has drastically changed modern life and the ways cities have developed. But, the environmental consequences are immense, and it’s time to cut back.

September 14, 2019 - The Guardian

Christopher Ingraham does everyone a favor and produces a how-to guide for cooling your house "like a wonk."

July 17, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Just in time for winter, the U.S. Department of Energy released a standard to make heating and cooling in commercial buildings far more efficient, increasing minimum efficiency by 10 to 25 percent.

December 21, 2015 - The Washington Post

A study investigates the effect of air conditioning systems on air temperature and electricity demand. The study's findings: the release of waste heat (via AC systems) exacerbates the nocturnal urban heat island, thus increasing cooling demands.

July 23, 2014 - Treehugger

Following on the hottest ever first half of a year in America's recorded history, James Barron examines the history behind the creation of air conditioning, on this day in 1902.

July 17, 2012 - The New York Times

As the Summer months heat up, Sarah Laskow reports on cities' efforts to keep retailers' doors closed.

June 3, 2012 - GOOD Magazine

Cities like Atlanta, that have grown up in the age of the automobile and air conditioning, are making efforts to green their environmentally unfriendly buildings and spaces, explains Emily Badger.

April 22, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

The Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator will begin construction this winter of an artificial glacier to cool the city next summer and provide melt water for drinking and irrigation.

November 21, 2011 - The Atlantic

They're about to try it in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, creating giant "naleds" of ice that would melt slowly due to the extreme cold preserved inside.

November 16, 2011 - BLDGBLG

Millions have been in the tent city of Mina in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Though the crowds are temporary, the infrastructure built to handle them is permanent.

November 24, 2010 - The Pop-Up City

A new book looks at the environmental, energy, and social consequences of keeping cool by using air conditioners. In this 4-minute public radio interview, author Stan Cox explains how to keep cool, just in time for the East Coast heat wave.

July 14, 2010 - American Public Media: Marketplace