The rest of the world wants to be as cool as America

Americans use 5% of all of our electricity cooling homes and buildings- and now the rest of the world is finally catching on as to how sweet it is.

Countries with climates far hotter than ours are finally experiencing enough economic growth to afford air conditioning so the global market is EXPLODING. A report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory expects 700 million new air conditioners to be installed in the next 15 years and 1.6 billion by the year 2050.

It could be life-saving in countries like India, where temperatures already reached 123 degrees in May. If a person's body temperature goes above 106 degrees in extreme heat, it can lead to serious complications including heat stroke and death. The very young and the very old are the most at risk- so staying cool is vital.

1.6 BILLION more a/c units will create huge energy demands- and greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of consumption and pollution- that's like adding a couple extra countries to the world.

Researchers believe the solution will be creating and adopting much more efficient air conditioners. We hope those hard at work designing better machines have the a/c pumping. They deserve it.