Can your air conditioner kill you?

Air conditioners may save you from the humidity and brutal summer heat, but according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it could also be killing you.

The study, published in early July, found the increased use of air conditioning in buildings could actually contribute to global warming by further degrading air quality, and worsening the toll of air pollution on human health. In fact, researchers estimated that it could contribute to an additional 1,000 deaths per year in the Eastern U.S.

Not everyone agrees with the study though. According to ClimateDepot.com founder Marc Morano, air conditioning doesn’t kill people; it saves lives.

“Thousands die in heat waves,” he said during an interview with FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on Wednesday. “Heat waves kill. Air conditioning saves lives.”

During the Chicago heat wave 1995, temperatures soared to blistering heights, resulting in the deaths of 739 people, most of whom could not afford air conditioning. And in 2003, a heat wave across Europe -- the hottest summer on record -- led to thousands of deaths, with some analysts placing the death toll at more than 70,000.

“[That’s] widely blamed on the fact that they didn’t have enough air conditioning, and air conditioning wasn’t widely available,” Morano said.