Air Conditioning Use and Heat-Related Deaths: How a Natural Disaster Presented a Unique Research Opportunity

PDF Version (1.1 MB) About This Article Published: 30 October 2017 Note to readers with disabilities: EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact ehponline@niehs.nih.gov. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.  The aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami of 11 March 2011 provided researchers an unexpected opportunity to explore the relationship between air conditioning and risk of heat-related death.1 Many earlier studies reported associations between access to and/or use of air conditioning and lower mortality risk.2,3,4,5,6 However, the new results, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, suggest that limiting the use of air conditioning during summer heat may not necessarily have adverse consequences for human health.1 The 2011 earthquake and tsunami severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and caused severe electrical shortages in the Tokyo metropolitan area. To conserve energy, the government strongly encouraged residents served by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Tohoku Electric Power Company to reduce electricity consumption by 15% from July to September of 2011.7 Campaigns promot...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Science Selection Source Type: research