, Columnist
Want to Use Less Air Conditioning? Just Turn on a Fan
Moving air feels cooler than stagnant air and fans use far less energy than AC.
Keeping cool.
Photographer: Harold M. Lambert/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Earlier this year, the UK attempted to go coal-free. But an increased need for air conditioning forced the usually temperate country to reverse itself and restart an old coal-fired power plant — after only 46 days.
This is a cycle that’s likely to get more vicious as hotter weather leads to more air conditioning, which exacerbates both global warming and urban heat islands. But maybe we don’t need nearly as much AC as we think.