How America became addicted to air conditioning

It is an integral part of modern life, but now the US is waking up to the environmental cost of such massive energy consumption

It was a sun-drenched afternoon, with another autumnal heatwave cooking the concrete of Los Angeles, but Joanne Pilecki hugged her green fleece close as she stepped into a cinema foyer.

"I don't take the cold too well," said the 61-year-old, adjusting to the abrupt drop in temperature. "I have a sweater with me all the time." Without it she would feel like an icicle by the end of The Intern, even though it was supposedly a heartwarming comedy. "I'm always cold. On planes I bring my own blankets."