Letters to the Editor: Air conditioning in every home isn't a climate-friendly fix
To the editor: The most important thing is missing not only from L.A. City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez's motion to study "cooling apparati for all residential units," (air conditioning, in other words) but also from the failed state bill AB 2597.
Our attention should be directed toward passive design approaches as we try to make homes more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. If we use passive design elements in future construction projects, we can decrease home energy demands by 80%-90% compared to code-minimum construction, according to research by Anna Haefele for the UC Berkeley geography department.
Therefore, when it comes to tackling global warming and developing building codes, we must think outside the box. Installing air conditioners in every residence across Los Angeles is not an ideal solution; there are more cost-effective and planet-friendly ways of handling the issue.
We must look to our forward-thinking architects to lead the way.
Julie Rico, Los Angeles
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To the editor: The article fails to mention from where all of the electricity to power these cooling units will come.
If we provide air conditioning to every residential unit in Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power will need extra generation capacity and storage. Otherwise, this will just lead to more and longer blackouts.
If there's no electricity, the AC does not work.
Jim Rueff, Fountain Valley
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
