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In Louisiana and Arkansas (probably several other states), the temperature can get over 100 Farenheit with super high humidity. This leads to "swamp @$$" withou
by 7thaccount 6y ago
In Louisiana and Arkansas (probably several other states), the temperature can get over 100 Farenheit with super high humidity. This leads to "swamp @$$" without copious amounts of AC. Being comfortable requires AC in the home, car, and at work.
In highschool gym class we would just sit in the shade under the bleachers during the summer (too hot to do anything) and be dripping sweat everywhere back in class. It was miserable.
It's just so miserable during the summer. The downside is that I'm only used to temperatures between 69 and 74 Farenheit, so I would be miserable in some place like Germany where they just live with the heat for a few weeks each year. I rented a house in Portland once without AC and it was during a heat wave. I'd douse myself in cold water, sit under the fan, and get very little sleep.
A hurricane just hit Louisiana and the grid damage has been extensive (worst on record) so no power or AC. My mother's house is 85 degrees inside at night so she's sleeping in her office which is in a nearby town with power. I haven't seen the numbers yet, but typically a lot of elderly people die in these conditions without AC.
The hurricane hit last Thursday I think and these are the current outages still in effect. Normally we would have power again in a couple of days in most non rural areas. The fact that it's been a full week and could be out for two more weeks is just unheard of.
https://poweroutage.us/area/state/louisiana https://poweroutage.us/area/state/louisiana
- kijin 6y agoWe love to romanticize the past, when people supposedly did fine without energy-wasting gadgets. The oft-forgotten truth is that people in the past just died more. And still do, in many parts of the world that are surprisingly close to us.
- Scoundreller 6y agoAnd are/were substantially less productive. When Singapore developed, the first thing the PM did was install A/C in all government buildings. https://www.vox.com/2015/3/23/8278085/singapore-lee-kuan-yew-air-conditioning https://www.vox.com/2015/3/23/8278085/singapore-lee-kuan-yew...
- s0rce 6y agoHeating buildings still takes more energy than air conditioning (usually much larger temperature differentials), people in the past used an enormous amount of energy on heating. They just consumed and generated the energy locally in the form of burning fuel, probably wood and coal instead of using an electric grid or natural gas. Also, I don't think A/C is any more of an energy wasting gadget than a heater. I can survive, moderately comfortable on a camping trip down to -10C, probably colder if I needed but I certainly wouldn't want my office/home to get that cold. Similarly, I don't want my house to be 30C with 85% RH.
- dpeck 6y agoAs much as A/C is amazing, it’s the lack of moving air that makes me the most uncomfortable. I’ve always been surprised at how much of Europe seems to have no interest in fans, ceiling or otherwise.
- vyrotek 6y agoIn Italy many are worried about "colpo d'aria" (blast of air) which they blame for all sorts of health problems. They also dislike ice in their drinks and think eating/swallowing some will hurt you too. I'm not certain whether the current generation of youth believe it or not. Source: Mother is Italian.
- bserge 6y agoAh yes, the draught, the European version of fan death :D
- baq 6y agoat my latitude wind blows from the west 80% of the time. i can count windless days in the year on my fingers.
- dpeck 6y agoThat sounds really nice. Which latitude? Most of my time in Europe has been UK/Ireland/Netherlands/Belgium/Austria and in the summers I wouldn’t say I’m often “hot” but it does often feel stuffy. Especially in bedrooms, and sometimes feeing that same way on warmer autumn days as well.
- baq 6y ago54N. just how the jet stream likes it.
- gowld 6y agoWhat's amazing is that covid and politics at eso crazy that the hurricane gets nearly no news headlines.