By Hannah McCurdy, A/G Intern
Summer of 2019 has been relatively mild in Los Angeles—at least by LA standards. However, the same cannot be said in other parts of the world. Intense, record-breaking heat waves struck Europe earlier this summer as heat from Northern Africa rose further North. As the heat cascaded through Europe, several nuclear power plants in Germany and France were forced to shut down because the cooling water became too hot. Across Europe, countries set record-shattering temperatures, with many areas lacking the infrastructure to handle temperatures over 100°. Moreover, temperatures did not drop during the night which was highly problematic because there was no opportunity for buildings, or people, to cool overnight.
Global warming continues to cause heat-related disasters. Heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. As a result, heating in the Arctic and Antarctic circles has progressed much faster than the Northern Hemisphere. After this heatwave passed through Europe, it moved toward Greenland and the Arctic, causing large ice sheets to melt at unprecedented levels.
It is clear to climate scientists that climate change and global warming are significant factors in these heat waves. People continue to seek ways to find comfort during these large stretches of extreme heat, yet some of these solutions actually contribute to the problem. Air conditioning units, considered a necessity to living in LA, contributes to global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)* are a chemical compound released during the manufacturing process and in leaking units. HFCs trap thousands of times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Thus, its critical to maintain air conditioning units. Additionally, air conditioning units increase electricity use. Environmentally friendly ways to stay cool includes visiting public cooling areas, such as malls and libraries, at least for parts of the day to reduce individual energy consumption. What strategies do you use to reduce the use of HFC’s during the Summer months? Comment below to join the conversation.
*See our previous blog post for more on HFC’s.