*Le Sigh*

[volksdragon]

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Cheryl Kennedy had just one word to describe the stagnant, sticky, downright dense heat that blanketed the downtown business district and most of the nation.

"Insanity. Insanity!" she said.

After a long sip from her bottled water, Kennedy added, "This is not fit for human beings. Without air conditioning, I don't think many of us could last like this for too long." (Italics mine)


Does this depress anyone else? Yeah, the heat sucks. Yes, it's hot. I HAVE A FEELING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SURVIVING WEATHER LIKE THIS FOR A FEW HUNDRED/THOUSAND YEARS BY NOW.

Are we really becoming that dependent on technology, are we becoming collectively so soft, that we'd die out in the woods if the temperature stayed above 90 for a week?

Comments

[greyhame.livejournal.com]

Nah, we'd just be so miserable that we'd feel like dying for a few days, and then we'd adjust.

Personally, if it weren't for air conditioning, I'd just move up to Canada or Washington State or something.

[armandae.livejournal.com]

we'd likely adjust our active hours like in parts of europe that don't believe in A/C. sleep during the hot part of the day and work more into the evening.

[stevie-stever.livejournal.com]

When someone is in an environment where there is no AC, one adapts, because one has no choice.

[siercia]

something bear in mind though -

particularly in cities, the environment that we've created traps heat in a way that would never have been seen 100 years ago (or certainly not 200). The amount of pavement and buildings that reflect heat instead of absorbing it, the air conditioners the spend all day pumping hotter air out than the air they're cooling, the comparative lack of shady spaces all make for an urban environment that is far warmer than we used to have.

Also, personally, I think that AC makes it harder to cope with the heat, because it messes with our regulation systems and blocks our normal bodily ability to cool itself. But that's just me.

[siercia]

abso-fucking-lutely NOT.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it... I've been bicycling to work (well, to/from commuter rail stations) and getting "stay away from the crazy man" looks from many of my fellow commuters. Ok, so it's hot. So it's humid. Dress for it, keep moving so that evaporative cooling works, keep drinking water until you're peeing clear, and you'll be fine. A pinch or two of low sodium salt* once in a while doesn't hurt either. There was indeed Life Before Air Conditioning, and there will, hopefully, be life long after.

Oh, and for added amusement, given the heat of the current meteorological climate, imagine how well suggesting that americans start wearing practical headgear like kaffiyehs instead of baseball caps would go over in the current political climate...

*Eh, so it's radioactive. So are most sport drinks. It's still wonderful stuff, since the 'missing' NaCl is replaced with KCl. Just try to forget about the half life of K40.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the trend appears to be driven more by market concerns than social ones; Spain for example is being pressured by the EU, and to some extent the liberalization of it's workforce model (read: working moms) to give up it's Siesta work schedule.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

I don't use my AC in the car when I'm driving unless I'm driving with someone else, and we only sleep in AC> (Wife dislikes being sweaty). I grew up being sweaty probably 50% of the time (exercise, biking, whatever) so it doesn't bother me nearly as much, but I seem to be in a minority.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Those are very good points. Asphalt sucks up AMAZING amounts of heat (40-50 degrees over ambient temperature) and makes it even hotter than it would normally be. That's why even I come back looking wilted from the races on the airfield.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

Heheheh. :)

[ex-prunesnp.livejournal.com]

I was going to say what she says--it's the modern stuff of a city that makes it so damned hot, AC exhaust included.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

I understand. Like I said, I'm sure I'm in the minority who would *probably* not have any AC in his house except for when guests came over (like this past weekend.)

[quezz.livejournal.com]

When I was in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, without air conditioning, I was miserable for about the first three days. I adjusted after a while, just as I adjusted to having no heat in the winter when I was in Xuzhou.

I am in a third-floor apartment, with skylights for windows, and I decided to keep the AC off since my dog is not here. I've HAD to keep it on for her -- she's furry and not feeling so well. It's good for my skin to sweat a bit more, and it's also a little annoying for me to have on air-conditioning since my body adjusted to not having it. I keep the smallest air conditioner possible and use it in only one room, for my dog's sake.

It's nice to know I don't need it.

[reo.livejournal.com]

If only there were ample shade trees around, you know?

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

Air conditioning allows us to work far more efficiently and for longer hours than otherwise. The downer is that it also makes it easier to be way out of shape. Really, though, that's just some stupid woman getting quoted. WHo gives a shit what she thinks?

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

That would indeed help. As my wife noticed, that's a lot of what keeps New Mexico tolerable. Sure, it's 114F, but A: It's not humid, and B: There are large trees planted around/over almost every house in the cities. In the shade, it's usually a temperate 85F, very tolerable.

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

I think that's a modern take on what AC can do for us. It helps cool computers, that's true, but I can sit and debug things when I'm hot and when I'm cold. :)

It just worries me that she's representative of a society that's growing increasingly unable to take care of itself without mechanical and technological crutches. Technology is supposed to assist us, not prop us up, although I will admit that definition is also changing as things such as cybernetics and nanotechnology become more a reality.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

We have our a/c in storage. Last night was actually pleasant until phatmike came to bed, and he's like a human furnace. If we start with the a/c now, we won't kick the habit until September. Sleeping isn't as comfortable, but the money we're saving is more important.

I always use AC in the car on the ride home, but I drive 60MPH as much as possible to make up for it. Still get about 35-36 MPG even with stop-n-go and some 75mph-i-really-want-dinner patches.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

There's no global warming! It's cool in my office :OP

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

Aren't people more efficient when they're comfortable? Sure you don't HAVE to be comfortable, but that doesn't mean you won't be more effective when you are. I can work a hell of a lot longer on a car when I'm comfortable and not losing massive amounts of fluids. Can I do it without A/C when I have to? Sure. Do I get a hell of a lot more done at Terry's air conditioned garage? Hell yes.

People are absolutely growing less and less able to take care of themselves. That's separate from the usefulness of basic physical comfort.

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

Above about 45MPH, *most* reasonably aerodynamic cars get better fuel efficiency with the windows up and the A/C on.

...my habit of driving with the windows down and a cool breeze running from the A/C probably isn't ideal, but what the hell? It's not like I'm going to notice the difference between 11 and 11.2MPG in the city. Further irony is that I get 28MPG at 90MPH and only 23MPG at 60MPH. :)

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

People are absolutely growing less and less able to take care of themselves. That's separate from the usefulness of basic physical comfort.

I can agree with that. I just think the over-reliance on AC is a sign of the coming apocalypsereduction in the number of self-sufficient people in our society.

[nrubenstein.livejournal.com]

I'm looking into air conditioning for the race car trailer i'll be purchasing this fall (assuming I do go enclosed), as well as a cool suit to wear in the race car. ;)

[hoo.livejournal.com]

It's the transitions that kill the acclimatization. I spent a couple of summers working outdoors in DC, and the only times it got tough where after spending a block of hours in air conditioning.

That being said, I couldn't convince Veronica of that this summer, so we've got a new 12,500 BTU window AC from Sears cooling the first floor. Biggest thing they had that didn't require a special plug.

[nemomori.livejournal.com]

Honestly I grew up without AC for the most part. Granted the house Siercia and I lived in was great, huge tree shading the east side and trees shading the north and west sides as well. We used to open the windows up at night and suck in cool air through the whole house via box fans in the attic and second floor windows. During the day we closed all the windows and pulled down all the shades and it was often 10 to 15 degrees cooler inside than out.

I do the same thing in my apartment (since through the wall AC units cost fricken $300+) and it's kept it bearable throughout the summer. Is it a little sticky and humid right now as I sit here typing? Sure. But can I bear it? Yes. Though will I get a cheap AC unit at somepoint in life for bedroom usage? Probably.