[lbryce]

This is the same post I left at Slate to the author himself

Air conditioning. Now that's a first. People like you never seem to run out of things to demonize. In the age of same sex marriage and Hillary Clinton, Air conditioning has become a bad thing. Has Global Warming run its course? ISIS isn't as politically incorrect, as coool, as air conditioning? Just like when we found out about Algore's huge carbon footprint, Leonardo Di Caprio literally adding tons of pollutants into the air on his whirlwind tour to help save the planet, now this guy starts to pick on air conditioning. What a cheap shot. What a liar. In counties in Europe that traditionally don't have air conditioning during a heat wave a few yeas back hundreds of people died as a result.. But they were old, anyway. Taking up space and not being productive.

I called Mr. Saletan a liar because I'd bet 100 times what his accumulative air conditioning bill is going to be by September that would surely make a fool of him with his excessive use of the monster that air conditioning is.

There are so many subjects to write about, real issues, human suffering, but this guy is looking for something really rad, something really bad, politically incorrect, bad.

Toilet paper? Why don't you do a story on toilet paper?

There are so many things about toilet paper that is considered politically incorrect, But I suppose it would be difficult to criticize that which is the soucre of one's livlihood.

[ßuddaßudd]

The air conditioner drove people indoors and away from their neighbors and outdoor activities... It made the front porch obsolete, almost..

[Toddsterpatriot]

Air conditioning takes indoor heat and pushes it outdoors. To do this, it uses energy, which increases production of greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere.

We could build more nuke plants, to cool without adding "greenhouse gases", but these watermelons never recommend that.

I guess they're not really worried about CO2.

[mrsmith]

Yep, sheer idiocy.

Of course as a southerner I’d like to see air conditioning outlawed- because it attracts Yankees.
And all Americans would benefit if DC wasn’t air conditioned.

[Teacher317]

Virtually every liberal policy ends in more dead people. 2,000 dead so far this year in India from heat waves. 70,000 dead in Europe in 2003 from heat waves. 56,000 dead in Russian heat wave in 2010. By all means, let's remove the primary defense for these kinds of deaths, according to the CDC.

Overall, heat waves killed more people in the U.S. than any other extreme weather event, the CDC researchers reported.
Air conditioning is a useful tool to combat the extreme heat, but researchers found that many of the deceased in New York did not have a working air conditioner. Obesity was another common factor among those who died.
The researchers said that New York City should make an effort to prevent heat illness by making it easier to access air conditioning and by increasing awareness of heat-related dangers, risk factors and protective measures among those who are at a higher risk and their caregivers.
Older people and those with chronic diseases should be encouraged to stay hydrated and use air conditioning or stay in areas that are air conditioned. Caregivers should also stop by often to make sure that people potentially in danger are okay.

CBS News, AUG 9, 2013.