The world doesn't need any more people. Fewer would be an improvement.
My problem with AC is how ubiguitous it is, and how people use it without thought of the environmental cost. It's ridiculous in many cases: people who sleep with their windows open and AC on (this exists), AC bus travel, where one needs a jacket, jeans and warm socks as the bus will be cold after a few hours. Air conditioning shows how far some people have become distanced from nature, and the environment in which they live. People who live in warm climates should expect to feel warm, maybe (at times) uncomfortably so. But good building design, suitable clothing, an open window, and a fan when temperatures get unbearable can go a long way. In the summer, I sleep (comfortably) with a window open, listing to the sound of my neighbours' AC units kicking in. It's depressing.
That's not to say that AC doesn't have valid uses, but that in many cases a more balanced, environmentally-friendly approach can be taken.
Some things which could be avoided: open doors in cooled buildings to entice people to go in (for example 7/11 or general retail in tropical or hot places). Refrigerated aisles in supermarkets which don’t have doors to keep cool air mingling with warmer air in the aisle., etc. Offices which keep so cool, people wesr jackets in the office when not winter. Those are wasteful examples.
Many store fronts have large sliding glass walls that open up the entire structure to open air - and they blast AC at 16 degrees inside, while the entire store is open to 30+ degree air outside.
The idea is so that the AC would leak out the doors and entice people to want to walk into the store. But that means that all the AC is wasted.
This kind of irresponsible use of AC is everywhere in hot climates in large shoppping streets, pretty much everywhere - North America, Asia (in asia it's insane how much AC is wasted), and I don't see it as much in Europe but probably some stores do it.
My problem with AC is how ubiguitous it is, and how people use it without thought of the environmental cost. It's ridiculous in many cases: people who sleep with their windows open and AC on (this exists), AC bus travel, where one needs a jacket, jeans and warm socks as the bus will be cold after a few hours. Air conditioning shows how far some people have become distanced from nature, and the environment in which they live. People who live in warm climates should expect to feel warm, maybe (at times) uncomfortably so. But good building design, suitable clothing, an open window, and a fan when temperatures get unbearable can go a long way. In the summer, I sleep (comfortably) with a window open, listing to the sound of my neighbours' AC units kicking in. It's depressing.
That's not to say that AC doesn't have valid uses, but that in many cases a more balanced, environmentally-friendly approach can be taken.