The Big Apple Puts the Smackdown on Stores That Air-Condition the Outdoors
An open door is so very inviting. Sometimes, when the weather is sweltering, the chilly blast of air you feel as you’re walking past a store is a welcome—albeit brief—respite from the heat. And maybe you’ll be tempted to step inside and turn a seconds-long interlude of cold into a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip. At least, that’s probably the hope of retailers that keep their front doors wide open, all while cranking up the air conditioning.
Well, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio does not support the wasteful habit. On Wednesday he signed a law that requires all retailers in the Big Apple to close their doors if an air conditioner is operating.
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“It’s always been a pet peeve of mine,” de Blasio said during a press conference, reported The New York Times. “It’s the middle of the summer in New York City, it’s 90 degrees, you walk by a store, and the door is wide open and the air-conditioning is blasting. That’s wasting a lot of energy. That’s having its own impact on global warming.”
The new law expands previous city regulations that merely cracked down on stores 4,000 square feet or larger, or part of a chain of five or more stores. Under that law, the corner bodega could still blast its air conditioner with no repercussions. However, this lastest ordinance removes the size requirement and requires all business to keep their doors closed when an air conditioner or central cooling system is running. Business owners who violate the new law will be fined $250 to $1,000.
“I know I’m not the only one who has walked past open doors to feel a blast of cold air pouring out. We don’t need to be cooling our sidewalks! By requiring businesses to simply close the door, this bill is a win on multiple fronts and is a small but important part of our efforts to fight climate change,” said de Blasio.
Tackling the problem was at the heart of New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs “Shut the Front Door!” campaign, which encouraged retailers to close their doors this summer. According to that effort, commercial buildings in New York City generate 10 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is 20 percent of the city’s total emissions.
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And, according to Con Edison, the power company in NYC, “If just one business closes its doors during the summer time, it can prevent the unnecessary release of more than 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide, save five barrels of oil, and save more than $1,000 on electric bills.”
But Robert S. Bookman, a lawyer who advocates for small businesses in Gotham, told the Times that he disagreed with the new law because the “extra few hundred dollars a month” that a retailer might pay in higher electricity costs is worth an increased number of customers owing to the open door.
“Businesses pay their own electric bill,” said Bookman. “I think it’s their business, and not the government’s business, about how much electricity they should use.”
Meanwhile, residents can file an official complaint on the website of the City of New York if they see chain stores or other commercial establishments that are violating the rule. But with fall in full swing, New Yorkers probably won't have much opportunity to tattle on violators until 2016.
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Original article from TakePart
