Air conditioning is the world's next big threat (Live Mint)

Mains Paper 3: Environment
Prelims level : Climate Change
Mains level : Air conditioning effects on global climate

Context

• Carbon dioxide emissions rose another 2% in 2018, the fastest pace in seven years
• By letting people in overheated climates concentrate on their work and get a good night’s sleep, air conditioning has played a big part in driving global prosperity and happiness over the past few decades – and that revolution has still barely begun.
• About half of Chinese households have this modern tool, but of the 1.6 billion people living in India and Indonesia, only 88 million have access to air conditioning at home, Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted in a recent report.
• For many, relief is in sight. Because of the combination of population growth, rising incomes, falling equipment prices and urbanization.
• The number of air-conditioning units installed globally is set to jump from about 1.6 billion today to 5.6 billion by the middle of the century, according to the International Energy Agency.

What will all this extra demand for electricity do to the climate?

• Carbon dioxide emissions rose another 2% in 2018, the fastest pace in seven years. That increase was alarming in its own right, given what we know about the unfolding climate emergency.
• But the proximate cause was especially troubling: Extreme weather led to more demand for air conditioning and heating in 2018, BP Plc explained in its annual review of energy sector.
• It’s not too hard to imagine a vicious cycle in which more hot weather begets ever more demand for air conditioning and thus even more need for power
• That in turn means more emissions and even hotter temperatures.
• That negative feedback loop exists at a local level too. Air-conditioning units funnel heat outside, exacerbating the so-called “urban heat island" effect, which makes cities warmer than the countryside.
• BNEF expects electricity demand from residential and commercial air conditioning to increase by more than 140% by 2050 – an increase that’s comparable to adding the European Union’s entire electricity consumption.
• Air conditioning will represent 12.7% of electricity demand by the middle of the century, compared to almost 9% now, it thinks.
• Buildings have long been a blind spot in climate discussions even though they account for about one-fifth of global energy consumption.
• The inefficiency of air-conditioning systems or badly designed homes and offices simply aren’t as eye-catching as electric cars and making people feel ashamed about flying.
• At least Germany’s “passivhaus" movement, a way of building homes that require very little heating or cooling, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in buildings, shows some people are starting to recognize the danger.

Lessons learned from the world of lighting

• The LED revolution was spurred by innovation but also by better energy efficiency labeling on products and the phasing out of out-of-date technology.
• Something similar needs to happen with air conditioning.
• There was a big step forward in January when the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol came into force.
• Though not well known, its aim is to phase out the use of potent greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons, which are used widely in air conditioning systems.
• Unless substituted, these alone could cause 0.4C of additional warming by the end of the century.
• In the U.S. 90% of households have air-con, in Germany it's about 3%, which is similar to the U.K.

Conclusion

• Warmer winters may obviate the need for as much heating in temperate countries, but the need for more cooling in densely populated tropical places will probably cause a net increase in energy demand and emissions.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the latest World Drug Report, 2019 released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), consider the following statements:
1. The most widely used drug globally continues to be cannabis.
2. Prevention and treatment continue to fall short with only one in seven people with drug use disorders receiving treatment each year.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both
D. None

Answer: C
Mains Questions:
Q.1) How Air conditioning affecting world climate? What will all this extra demand for electricity do to the climate?