Low AC usage in peak summers can help prevent premature deaths

You have heard about the excessive use of air conditioners being one of the factors influencing global warming and climate change. But did you know, use of air conditioners during peak summers is also one of the causes behind premature deaths?

A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison analyses how out of 100,000 premature deaths in the US, nearly 500 are caused or exacerbated by air pollution which could be avoided simply by running the air conditioners a little less during the hottest months, Fast Company reports.

The researchers found that with a 12 per cent reduction in the baseline electricity demand, the level of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide can decline by up to 13 per cent each year. This would lead to lesser ambient particulate matter, preventing around 475 deaths.