Qatar project could benefit Yuma one day

Country is battling heat with outdoor air conditioning

The nation of Qatar is taking an unusual approach to climate change.

As the country continues to get warmer, it is starting to air condition outdoor spaces.

According to the Washington Post, temperature increases in Qatar have been accelerating, making it one of the fastest warming areas of the world.

Now, the country is starting to use air-conditioning outside, in spaces like soccer stadiums, markets, sidewalks and outdoor malls, allowing people to move about with a cool breeze.

The problem is compounded in Qatar because the region also must deal with humidity from the Persian Gulf along with the heat, the Washington Post notes. “The human body cools off when its sweat evaporates. But when humidity is very high, evaporation slows or stops,” the Post reports — leading to dangerous conditions for humans.

The country is finding some degree of success with outdoor air conditioning.

However, it also comes with a cost. The program is expensive to implement and also has a negative impact on the environment, adding to the global greenhouse emissions problem.

But set the cost and the impact aside for a moment, and think about the implications.

Yuma might not have the humidity, but Mother Nature can certainly turn up the heat here, leaving us sizzling like bacon in a frying pan.

Would air conditioning outdoor spaces be a viable solution here, if global warming continues to increase temperatures?

There are plenty of locations that could potentially benefit here. Think about Main Street Yuma in August. It’s a virtual ghost town, despite the use of outdoor misting systems in some locations. Now, imagine Main Street in August if cool air was blowing down on the walkways. It could, theoretically, lead to more people in those spaces, and an increase in business.

The same would apply to any shopping center here, or spaces like Desert Sun Stadium or the Yuma Territorial Prison.

It would be an incredibly expensive venture. However, Qatar’s system is one worth keeping an eye on. Should the country find success, it may be something that would apply in Yuma too, later on down the road.

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.