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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Scientists and manufacturers are working to redesign air conditioners to tackle not just rising temperatures, but increasing humidity, a growing challenge due to climate change
• These new prototypes aim to be more energy-efficient and climate-friendly by prioritizing humidity control while minimizing emissions
• The demand for air conditioning is projected to surge, especially in countries like India, where billions of new units could be installed in coming decades
🔭 The context: Traditional AC units are primarily designed for temperature reduction, but in humid climates, overcooling is required to reduce humidity, leading to excessive energy use
• The new designs feature dual cooling coils and real-time humidity sensing to improve efficiency
• As ACs become more widespread in low- and middle-income countries, finding affordable, energy-efficient solutions is critical to preventing further environmental harm
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Air conditioning currently accounts for nearly 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure is expected to rise dramatically as demand grows
• Developing more efficient units is essential to reduce the environmental impact of cooling, which could help prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100
⏭️ What's next: Researchers and manufacturers are aiming to bring these advanced, affordable ACs to market within the next five years
• Governments and large-scale buyers could play a key role by adopting these models and setting new efficiency standards
💬 One quote: “With climate change, you are seeing not just increased events of higher temperatures around the world, but also starting to see higher humidity” - Ankit Kalanki, from RMI
📈 One stat: By 2050, the number of air conditioners globally is expected to triple, contributing to nearly 2 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions annually
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