The Right to Cooling

Los Angeles, CA – On a hot August evening two years ago, 21 renters from South Los Angeles gathered in a local nonprofit’s office to discuss the dangers of extreme heat. Natalia Cordero, who has asthma, described sweltering conditions in her home, where she relied on a single fan and aluminum foil-covered windows to cope. She had never heard of a cooling center.

Natalia’s experience was not unusual. Nearly all attendees described unbearable heat in their homes, resorting to measures like soaking clothes in cold water or spending hours in air-conditioned public spaces to escape the heat. Many spent up to $100 a day on cooling, though most earned less than $15,000 annually.

South Los Angeles is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat due to its urban heat island effect, with little tree coverage and high pollution levels. Nearly one in four residents lives in poverty, and the area experiences disproportionately high rates of heat-related illnesses. During heat waves, it consistently records some of the highest emergency room visits for heat-related issues in Los Angeles County.

Extreme heat is a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., often surpassing hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. While passive cooling methods like reflective roofs and tree canopy can reduce indoor temperatures modestly, air conditioning remains the most effective solution, capable of lowering indoor temperatures by up to 32 degrees compared to outdoor conditions.

However, many renters, like Natalia, face landlord restrictions on installing air conditioning. Without it, they endure dangerous indoor temperatures, especially as fans become ineffective above 90 degrees. Research shows that having a working air conditioner reduces the risk of heat-related death by about 80%. A 2014 study found that widespread residential air conditioning in the U.S. led to a 75% drop in heat-related mortality on hot days.

In response to these conditions, tenants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County organized for a "right to cooling," which the LA County Board of Supervisors adopted in August 2023. The ordinance, set to take effect in January 2027, requires landlords to maintain indoor temperatures at or below 82 degrees. Tenants also gain the right to install portable cooling devices. LA County is among fewer than a dozen U.S. regions with such a policy. Tenants are now pushing for similar protections across the city, home to roughly 2.5 million renters.

The debate over air conditioning extends beyond the U.S. In France, where only 24% of households have air conditioning, officials have criticized its use as environmentally harmful. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire and Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar argued that American reliance on air conditioning contributes to global warming. Pulvar went so far as to blame the U.S. for Europe’s heat-related deaths, sparking a social media backlash from American conservatives.

France’s resistance to air conditioning stems from cultural and environmental concerns. The country has long prioritized energy efficiency, expanding public transit and green spaces to reduce fossil fuel use. However, Europe’s rising temperatures challenge this stance. Since the 1980s, Europe has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average, with heat waves reaching 111 degrees this summer. Despite Paris’s efforts to promote "makeshift solutions," French citizens have increasingly turned to air conditioning, with some lining up for hours to purchase units.

As temperatures rise globally, the need for accessible cooling solutions becomes more urgent. While debates continue over the environmental impact of air conditioning, the health risks of extreme heat demand immediate action.