Today where I live it is 92 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and humidity is about 100%.  For those of you who use a centigrade thermometer, that's F***ing hot!  I notice that so far nobody has said "Yes" to this question.  I wonder what the response would have been had we taken this survey in January?

If I want to be 'picky' I could say a/c is immoral.  We know what it does to the environment and how much power it uses up.  However, my furnace also damages the environment and I have one of those and haven't heard much discussion of people going without one!

With certain diseases high temperatures cause multiple extra problems so in those cases it becomes more difficult to say 'don't have one'. 

My personal choice is to have and occasionally use an a/c.  I don't chill the house to ice box level - merely to a point where it feels bearable.   I don't overheat the house in the winter either, most visitors complain that they are cold. 

Generally speaking I try to be environmentally friendly - medium sized vehicle, modest sized home,  very little frozen or canned  foods, holidays close to home etc.  Our community expects us to use big plastic garbage containers that can be picked up by a truck on a weekly basis.  My weekly garbage fits in a small bag.

I find the work immoral very harsh. I don't use my car air conditioning much I am more of the 2 - 60 mentality. open 2 windows and drive 60 kph.

Not many comments! I thought what "if you don't really need it" was subjective, so I said "yes" because you can be wasteful with all kinds of resources. Even in Vancouver, there are some times in the year when some types of air conditioning is appropriate: in vehicles, it's more efficient to drive with the windows closed, even if the air conditioning is on,  no--I'm not going to do a formal cite for Myth Busters TV show--and our fathers with heart problems really need to have air conditioners in their bedroom windows for those summer days that get hot enough to be oppressive. I'm hoping for more than one this year on the wet coast of Canada. When air conditioning gets wasteful is not for me to say, but in desert climates shade, insulation, and other simple technology can help, and always keeping air conditioners in top working order saves electricity. And as mom always said: close that door now! You weren't born in a barn!

The problem is that air conditioning (and heating) creates an enormous demand on our energy sources, increasing the footprint of the developed world astronomically and leading to increased dependency on carbon-based fuels. So, that's one facet of the issues related to the use of air conditioning (for comfort, as opposed to necessity and the line there is grey, isn't it?).

Another is the lack of exposure and adaptation to our environment. 92 F is hot for Canadians, especially the first week or so when it hits. Many of us grew up without air conditioning in the summer - society adapted in a number of ways. Constructing shady spots, open windows, spending time at the water (river, lake or ocean-side), etc. Our bodies adapt to changes in climate and, in fact, sun exposure is being proven to be good for us, contrary to what the present common wisdom states (see www.vitamindsociety.org for more on that).

Yet another consideration for me is that air conditioning robs us of the ebbs and flows of our seasons, disconnecting us from nature and imposing year-round, regulated productivity on most of humanity. Electric lighting and temperature regulation lead to the imposition of assembly-line type living.

Please don't hear that I think we should live in caves, etc. I'm not saying that science and innovation shouldn't be used for our well-being and comfort. Obviously, there are times where this is necessary. Most Canadians would be hard-pressed to survive without home heating.

Having said that, I believe that the move to more and more energy use through climate control isn't sustainable. Imagine how the world would look if the large populations of Asia were using this mod-con the way the "developed world" does.

I wouldn't say air conditioning is "immoral" since I am hard-pressed to use that word in any context. I do think that its overuse is harmful, along with other human practices, particularly those of us in wealthier parts of the world.

as a person living with MS, i have to have a/c on hot days to prevent my disease from relapsing. 

however, i do everything i can to minimize the use... i have a very high efficiency air conditioning unit.  i have lots of trees planted and growing in my yard, as the ambient temperature of the yard decreases with a high shade canopy.  i also use blinds in all the windows, and i have it set to go on only when the house is above +24... as soon as the temperature drops outside, i open all the windows so that the house cools and the air conditioner is not needed.

when i lived in ottawa, we had solar panels, and they did quite a bit to offset the energy used to run the a/c there... i found that the temperature just didn't decrease in the evenings, so it had to run 24/7 some weeks.

There is a time and place for everything, a/c included.  If you have elderly, frail or very young people living there then you need to be careful they don't get overheated. Overheating is also one risk factor for SIDs. (aka crib death). If the heat and humidex become dangerously high then yes by all means cool yourself so you don't get ill.

My brother in law told me that in Arizona it is illegal have children live in a dwelling with no air conditioning. In places like that it is a matter of safety, not just comfort. Just like heaters for our Canadian winters.