What makes air conditioning so important is the fact that it made it possible to dramatically grow cities in the warmer climates of the southern half of the continental USA. Places like Las Vegas, NV, Phoenix, AZ and Orlando, FL could never have grown without widespread availability of air conditioning.
I do strongly favor banning air conditioning in all government buildings here in heat-oppressed Washington, D.C. That would make this town a hardship post again, cut down on the number of people who would want to work for the oppressive federal bureacracy, and keep Congress out of session for the summer months so they would leave us the hell alone! -- Ed Hudgins
Vegas would still be Vegas but the city would have been empty during the summer if there's no AC.