And the more air conditioners in use, the warmer it gets. You see, air conditioners require electricity provided by utility providers that burn fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gases in order to produce that electricity. States can play a valuable role in providing incentives to building owners to consider every way to build environmentally friendly buildings. Hayter added that the growing popularity of air conditioning will continue to lead population shifts to warmer climates. However, he says even in northern areas of the U.S., there's increasing demand for air conditioning.
People adapt and get used to a certain level of heat or cold.
That's why in the winter, if you have a 40 degree day after several days at 20 degrees or colder, it seems much warmer. With air conditioning, you get used a certain temperature level and when you step outside, it feels warmer than it really is. One side effect of all of this is that over time people develop preferences for certain temperatures. They learn what feels right for them and act accordingly. Unfortunately, there are individual differences in the preferences for heat and cold which is why you can end up with those classic thermostat wars at home and in the office.