As climate change drives ever hotter summer temperatures, more and more Canadians are turning to air conditioning to stay cool. It’s one of the miserable ironies of global warming because air conditioning contributes to even warmer climates.

The use of air conditioners is predicted to explode as year after year sets new “hottest temperatures on record.” According to a May 2018 report by the International Energy Agency, the number of air conditioners worldwide will skyrocket from 1.6 billion units today to 5.6 billion units by 2050. That would spell trouble for the planet because of the energy air conditioners need and some of the chemicals they use.