Stop putting your head in the sand. Of course, those at high risk of death like the elderly and the infirmed should use AC, but that has nothing to do with the excessive use of AC in many parts of the united states.
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The US uses as much electricity for air condition as the UK uses in total - "How cold air is heating the world"
- Thread starter Sankara
- Start date
Stop putting your head in the sand. Of course, those at high risk of death like the elderly and the infirmed should use AC, but that has nothing to do with the excessive use of AC in many parts of the united states.
i know right? These people won't listen, and think they know better than people that live in a place. Fucking entitled pricks that don't know anything telling other people to just "move" or "don't build in that city" as if we had any control over where and when people built cities decades ago.
im quoting this again because its amazing.
funny enough we stayed with friends for a couple of days in London during christmas, and they had the heat cranked way up, and left a windows open for "fresh air" or some shit.
What's excessive? And do you realize energy consumed for homes account for 6% of the US's total consumption?
And it's not just the elderly lol. We're talking healthy grown adults can suffer heat stroke and die easily from the heat in the SouthEast and West. High School athletes die from heat stroke. You said it is not a necessity and you're plain wrong.
Again, regular people don't need to pay the price for something that needs to start with corporations and the government. Renewable energy will help along with the new building codes that are required at a federal level.
Well, as a Phoenix resident, I'm sure it was at least a little easier for earlier settlers as in the summer the nights would be cooler due to no heat island effect. Also very few people lived here before electricity. In 1900 the Phoenix are population was probably around 10k, and those people probably just put up with it.
you must sit in your own sweat in your own home, or your not helping enough.
It's crazy. And as someone who was born and raised in Europe, I kinda understand but then I moved to North Carolina. The summers there will teach you quick.
heh, just looking at it, that same Mississippi to LA trip is about the same distance trip as Gibraltar to Prague.
So I live in Phoenix, and my AC is not on constantly. Most days in the summer I have my AC set to 81 degree to save costs and it's not running 24/7. It can be uncomfortable but I can't afford to run it lower.
During the months of April, May, and November, I can get away with turning it off completely and just leaving my windows open at night to cool down the house.
My relatives in Iowa leave their AC on constantly, and around 65 degrees. Mainly because it's a lot, lot cheaper out there, so they don't feel any financial burden to run it cold.
My mom used to visit a patient's house (she's a home nurse) who had no air conditioning. The house was so hot that the kids preferred playing outside where there was wind blowing. It's possible to survive living in the desert without AC, but it isn't for the faint of heart.
The best solution going forward is to make the machines more efficient and use renewable energy to run them.
During the months of April, May, and November, I can get away with turning it off completely and just leaving my windows open at night to cool down the house.
My relatives in Iowa leave their AC on constantly, and around 65 degrees. Mainly because it's a lot, lot cheaper out there, so they don't feel any financial burden to run it cold.
My mom used to visit a patient's house (she's a home nurse) who had no air conditioning. The house was so hot that the kids preferred playing outside where there was wind blowing. It's possible to survive living in the desert without AC, but it isn't for the faint of heart.
The best solution going forward is to make the machines more efficient and use renewable energy to run them.
One thing that has been mentioned in his thread is that cooling in the desert is different than cooling in a humid environment like the US southeast. Where in the desert you can cool your house at night due to the temperature drops, the humidity in the south east keeps the air hot all night so there isn't any relief.
It gets above 95 degrees in Atlanta for a long time and the humidity keeps that feeling there for months.
Well, to be fair, here in Phoenix even though it cools down at night, it still never goes below 80°F for like 2 months out of the year. Even now its still like 90°F at midnight.
However, due to the low humidity, it is more manageable, but its still hot all the time.
Not surprising given:
1. The size of the US compared to UK
2. The population of the US compared to UK
3. The varying geography and climate of the US compared to UK
4. All the people in this thread keeping their AC set so low all of the time (original tweet is also silly 82 is absurd when you sleep): https://www.resetera.com/threads/to...om-temperatures-for-energy-efficiency.135892/
1. The size of the US compared to UK
2. The population of the US compared to UK
3. The varying geography and climate of the US compared to UK
4. All the people in this thread keeping their AC set so low all of the time (original tweet is also silly 82 is absurd when you sleep): https://www.resetera.com/threads/to...om-temperatures-for-energy-efficiency.135892/
In 2015 roughly 47% of heating energy came from natural gas and fossil fuels as a whole represented 66% of heating energy, which is about the same as the U.S., with renewable sources only providing a tiny sliver of energy in both regions.
Why is that? Google is mostly giving me articles about Italian superstition of wind being the reason why.
It's probably already been mentioned but it's about time architects think a bit more about energy retention when it comes to building homes.
They have laws that prevent AC from being used in certain months of the year. USA does not have that.
And having lived in Italy, yeah it sometimes got up there but on average, the summers aren't as hot as most of the south east or the west.
Take a look at average temps in August for Italy vs Georgia:
Georgia:
Italy:
Georgia numbers are based on averages from 1981 to 2010. Italy numbers are averages from 1971 to 2000. I'm sure these numbers go up when comparing the last 10-20 years.
I'm honestly the wrong person to ask. Even in winter I have the window open and the heating off. You may have a point if you ask someone else but you couldn't get it more wrong with me.
Take a look at average temps in August for Italy vs Georgia:
Georgia:
Italy:
Georgia numbers are based on averages from 1981 to 2010. Italy numbers are averages from 1971 to 2000. I'm sure these numbers go up when comparing the last 10-20 years.
And to note: Georgia isn't even the hottest state. Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona all have higher temps
Does any serious academic climate solution paper out there list "Populations should use less AC" as one of their items towards resolution. Specifically population decision as opposed to making more efficient systems (as this is already and has always been underway as AC system producers have financial incentive to do so).
If not, maybe it should be considered why.
Maybe it's because those plans suggest using social capital for policy change as opposed to individual sacrifices as it is more efficient. Hell the article itself lists that the solutions should be better architecture requirements (which LEED building standards already push) and more efficient cooling systems (which it says is already being researched). Don't know why the takeaway from some people here is "Lazy spoiled Americans should just deal more and turn off their stuff".
Hell the OP article itself is 80% mentioning the other solutions (policy, engineering, etc) that should be and are being approached first but then as a section on "A simple solution is to just use it less".
I think what is frustrating about the narrative recently is that most articles that have been coming about what the individual can do have been these small ass changes that diverts the individuals attention from fighting for the major changes that need to happen. Convincing people to spend their influence time and energy on mopping up puddles when the flood is coming. I think these articles come out because they are divisive enough to get lots of clicks as articles on major policy changes, organizational research that can be donated to, and others are boring and don't generate clicks.
It's even more useful if you get to point to another country and yell "their population is the problem. They need to get their shit together" as it's a convenient distraction from introspection.
Edit: On a personal note, I haven't used heating or cooling in the US for 10 years. Never needed it in SF.
If not, maybe it should be considered why.
Maybe it's because those plans suggest using social capital for policy change as opposed to individual sacrifices as it is more efficient. Hell the article itself lists that the solutions should be better architecture requirements (which LEED building standards already push) and more efficient cooling systems (which it says is already being researched). Don't know why the takeaway from some people here is "Lazy spoiled Americans should just deal more and turn off their stuff".
Hell the OP article itself is 80% mentioning the other solutions (policy, engineering, etc) that should be and are being approached first but then as a section on "A simple solution is to just use it less".
I think what is frustrating about the narrative recently is that most articles that have been coming about what the individual can do have been these small ass changes that diverts the individuals attention from fighting for the major changes that need to happen. Convincing people to spend their influence time and energy on mopping up puddles when the flood is coming. I think these articles come out because they are divisive enough to get lots of clicks as articles on major policy changes, organizational research that can be donated to, and others are boring and don't generate clicks.
It's even more useful if you get to point to another country and yell "their population is the problem. They need to get their shit together" as it's a convenient distraction from introspection.
Edit: On a personal note, I haven't used heating or cooling in the US for 10 years. Never needed it in SF.
Right. I was being very kind with that comparison. Mainly to show how tired I am of people talking out of their ass. I should have shown the humidity numbers. Those should closely match Italy's.
I will say, the first week I moved to the US, I got sick from the AC. I had a cold mainly from the cold air on my skin as I slept. After nearly two decades in But I got used to it after touring East Carolina's campus. I discovered there's a huge difference in deodorant and antiperspirant.
A high in the 80s is actual perfection. Most of the US does not have that. Large swathes of the US have highs in the hundreds for multiple weeks, months. Toronto is further south than London.
AC usage is only going to go up, and places that aren't equipped to deal with rising temperatures will have to adapt quickly.
