Increased Use of Air Conditioners to Produce More Greenhouse Gas

Temperatures are reaching triple digits across the country and air conditioners are working overtime. They are also injecting additional carbon into the air, a gas known to insulate the planet and contribute to global warming.

A new analysis suggests the cycle will be exacerbated.

Earth's temperature has increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degrees Celsius) in the last century. Studies strongly suggest that the increase is due to increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists predict the trend will continue and we'll also see more severe weather such as extreme heat in the future.

The temperature changes associated with the new bouts of extreme weather will require more energy for cooling buildings, the scientists said today.

The researchers simulated how temperatures will fluctuate across the United States in response to global warming and found that energy requirements will increase in the southern and western regions of the country as people turn on their air conditions to find relief from the scorching heat.