The AC Blind Spot: How America's Reliance on Air Conditioning Leaves It Vulnerable to Heat Waves The heat dome pulsing over the eastern United States threatens to bring record breaking temperatures, exposing a long standing weakness in America's infrastructure.
While air conditioning has undoubtedly saved countless lives during heat waves by maintaining safe building temperatures, its ubiquity has also created a glaring oversight: homes and public spaces have been designed with little consideration for natural cooling techniques.
This issue is not new; it's simply one that has gained renewed urgency due to climate change.