Air conditioning is a necessity as extreme heat events become more common: B.C. advocates
Whether it's through misting stations, air-conditioned public spaces or parks with shady trees, there are plenty of ways to keep cool outside, but options are limited for those at home and not everyone is equipped to beat the heat.
"Air conditioning is some of the best technology we know to help humans cope with a rise in climate," said Jacob Kincer, a senior policy analyst at the Energy for Growth Hub where he researches emerging clean energy technologies.
But he understands not everyone in the province has access to air conditioning.
"It really shouldn't be seen as a luxury that makes things a little more comfortable because, a lot of times, heat waves kill people," he said.
Extreme heat in 2021 claimed 619 lives across the province as temperatures broke records and surpassed 40 C for several days in a row in late June and early July.
Nearly three-quarters of the deaths happened in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities and most who died didn't have adequate cooling systems like air conditioners or fans in their homes.
"This is not a problem that's going away. It's actually going to get a lot worse," Kincer said.
"It's something where we have to figure out how to make it work. So, that means finding ways to make air conditioning more efficient, making people's homes more insulated so there's a lower energy usage when you do use it," he continued.
And the demand is ever-growing — global energy demand from AC is expected to triple by 2050.
While it's meant to cool you down, one expert says AC units can have the opposite effect on the planet.
"Electricity can be generated cleanly, as we do here from BC Hydro or in many places of the world, it's using a lot of coal. When we do that, it puts a lot of carbon dioxide out in the atmosphere which contributes to climate change,' said Werner Antweiler, an associate professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business.
Even with clean electricity, he said AC still leaves an environmental footprint with harmful chemicals released by these cooling systems.
"There are concerns about the refrigerants that are used in air conditioning units. There are some older types that are using refrigerants that are harmful to the climate," Antweiler said.
"And there's a global push to change the type of refrigerants that we're currently using and make them less harmful to the environment," he continued.
Several groups in Vancouver have been calling on all levels of government to make air conditioning more accessible, especially to those most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat, including seniors, those living alone and people with underlying health issues.
And despite the environmental impacts -- they say human lives should be prioritized.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.