Can We Air-Condition Our Way Out of Climate Change? No. But in the midst of intense heat waves it may be necessary to save lives.

Had this discussion with my family recently.

I made a point how the UK heatwaves are proof of climate change and that we needed to act (not a very clued-in family).

They suggested we get ceiling fans.

I started being sarcastic:

"Look outside my window, see a barren lifeless desert hostile to any life, don't worry, we have ceiling fans!".

"What's that? Your car tires melted onto the road? Ceiling fans!".

"Shall I take a ceiling fan out with me like a little propeller hat everytime I need to go outside?".

They were amused.

Okay

But we cant just go into our homes or offices which are under AC, and then forget about the outside

This is not prevention of the worse, it is ignorancy

And what about people who cant afford AC or the bills that come with it?

The new climate denial? Using wealth to insulate yourself from discomfort and change

https://theconversation.com/the-new-climate-denial-using-wealth-to-insulate-yourself-from-discomfort-and-change-199101

While the days of overt climate denial are mostly over, there’s a distinct form of denial emerging in its stead. You may have experienced it and not even realised. It’s called implicatory denial, and it happens when you consciously recognise climate change as a serious threat without making significant changes to your everyday behaviour in response.

Much research has focused on how we intellectually distance ourselves from the unpleasant realities happening around us. What requires greater attention is how we may engage in climate denial by seeking out spaces of sensory comfort and using them to shield ourselves as the world unravels outside our window.

Denial, thought of in this way, is entirely sensible. My colleagues and I asked residents around the Western Sydney suburb of Penrith – famously the hottest place on Earth during the Black Summer of 2019-20 – about their experiences during heatwave conditions. Unsurprisingly, sensory denial is central to how they cope with extremes – primarily by using air conditioning.

poor people can just die I guess white the wealthy causing this make it worse.

If data centers can create heat islands, heat pumps coupled to ac units at a similar scale can make cool islands? Shove heat into the earth using solar. Wise guys, why not?