A team of Oxford DPhil students, including Nethmi Jayaratne Kariyawasam from the Oxford Smith School, jointly won First Prize in the ASHRAE Region XIV Net-Zero Building Design Competition 2025 on Net Zero Data Centres.
Radhika Khosla commented on the dangers of extreme heat in this Daily Mail article on the recent European heatwave. "Populations in urban areas like London are particularly susceptible to extreme heat as the concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit the sun's radiation, amplifying its impact on our bodies," she said. "For this reason, outdoor workers are particularly at risk and should take regular breaks to hydrate in the shade."
Scientists are clear that the current heatwave in the UK has been "boosted" by climate change, wrote the BBC. Dr Radhika Khosla commented that air conditioning and other cooling systems "become crucial to maintaining health, productivity and quality of life amidst rising temperatures."
When humidity is higher, it is harder for sweat to evaporate from our skin, which is the main way that we lose heat. “When you have air around the body that has high levels of water, it becomes much harder for the body to cool itself down,” said Dr Radhika Khosla.ford.
Parts of America are currently suffering from a stifling heatwave. Dr Radhika Khosla raised the issue of overreliance on air conditioning in an article for Time Magazine. "Air conditioners are not the most climate friendly solutions because they're extremely energy intensive... they're so energy guzzling, they place quite a large strain on the [fossil fuel] electricity grid," she said.
As temperatures rise, Dr Radhika Khosla warned Time readers about the problems of over-relying on air conditioning. "Air conditioners are not the most climate friendly solutions because they're extremely energy intensive, they use a whole order of magnitude more electricity than fans, and because they're so energy guzzling, they place quite a large strain on the [fossil fuel] electricity grid,” she said.
The FT covers the Smith School's bespoke courses for the region, which have seen increased demand linked to recognition of the urgency of climate adaptation strategies in the region and cover topics such as carbon capture, resilience to extreme heat, and sustainable cooling.
Radhika Khosla's research features in this Economist story on the future of sustainable cooling in India.
Radhika Khosla discusses the urgent need for sustainable cooling solutions as close to half of the world’s people have little defense against deadly heat.