4 ms·

Are portable A/C units not available or too expensive? (Or was there a mad rush after seeing the forecast) After seeing wildfires, heat domes around the world

Are portable A/C units not available or too expensive? (Or was there a mad rush after seeing the forecast) After seeing wildfires, heat domes around the world in the past few years, my family definitely prepared. (I put in a small mini split after last years heat dome in the NW US.)

efficax 4y ago
they are available but just not really something most europeans have had to use in the past. outside of offices and hotels, only the rich tend to use air conditioners and if you are poor, it’s unlikely that you can get one at a moments notice because you saw a 40 degree forecast (if you even watch the forecasts)
- PraetorianGourd 4y ago
  I think any European below the 47th parallel North should have at least considered some form of AC. At some point there is an odd disconnect between accepting living spaces need to be heated in Winter but rejecting they should be cooled in the Summer. Amd I get it. It sucks that Europe needs AC in the Summer now, but unfortunately no amount of “I told you so” blog posts will keep anyone from heat sickness. So lets accept the world as it is now, mitigate against the risks and try not to make things worse.
  - clydethefrog 4y ago
    Installing AC everywhere will make things worse, because of the massive polluting production and energy demand. I believe changing the way of life and enabling old customs like siesta would be a much more climate friendly short term solution.
    - PraetorianGourd 4y ago
      Have you tried to nap when the temperature outside is 41c and you have no air conditioning? I have. It is not possible. Where I live, we hit 46c last year. I brought a portable AC to my mom, it was 32c in her 2nd story bedroom after sunset. Yeah of course those temps are not unheard of in some regions. But I am north of the 45th parallel. It isn’t normal and a “siesta” won’t make it so. We fucked up, the planet is getting hotter. We need to adapt. Where I live, electricity is mainly generated through hydroelectric dams. Yeah, it fucks up the fish, but it is better than coal or methane. And yes, I will unabashedly run my AC to make my home habitable. It isn’t accepting defeat, it is allowing us to live. I wonder, as you wrote this reply, what was the temperature inside your home? I am sure you will tell us with the same zeal that was behind your original reply. If not, kindly keep your “customs” to yourself while people die of heat sickness in their homes.
      - spaniard89277 4y ago
        Dude, you simply can't pay the electricity bills for AC. I mean, you can if you have good income, but prices are much higher than the US and salaries are much lower.
  - tiagod 4y ago
    In Portugal, you can just not afford it on normal wages (I'm not counting tech workers and "digital nomads" (who only make things worse)) Sure, you might be able to purchase the system and get it installed, but energy costs are astronomical.
- birksherty 4y ago
  What about ceiling fans? Do you have them? Or is it never that needed before too? In India where high temperature and humidity is always there, most people uses fans, AC only by rich and upper middle class.
huijzer 4y ago
> Are portable A/C units not available or too expensive? Too expensive. The price of electricity is much higher here (https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-price...).
- Proven 4y ago
oliwarner 4y ago
Yes! Let's magic 30 million new AC units into existence and pump another 105GW of power onto the grid! Doing this stuff at population scale is nearly impossible. It would also cause secondary heat issues and make heatwaves much worse for the local environment. It's a bad idea.

efficax 4y ago

they are available but just not really something most europeans have had to use in the past. outside of offices and hotels, only the rich tend to use air conditioners and if you are poor, it’s unlikely that you can get one at a moments notice because you saw a 40 degree forecast (if you even watch the forecasts)

PraetorianGourd 4y ago
I think any European below the 47th parallel North should have at least considered some form of AC. At some point there is an odd disconnect between accepting living spaces need to be heated in Winter but rejecting they should be cooled in the Summer. Amd I get it. It sucks that Europe needs AC in the Summer now, but unfortunately no amount of “I told you so” blog posts will keep anyone from heat sickness. So lets accept the world as it is now, mitigate against the risks and try not to make things worse.
- clydethefrog 4y ago
  Installing AC everywhere will make things worse, because of the massive polluting production and energy demand. I believe changing the way of life and enabling old customs like siesta would be a much more climate friendly short term solution.
  - PraetorianGourd 4y ago
    Have you tried to nap when the temperature outside is 41c and you have no air conditioning? I have. It is not possible. Where I live, we hit 46c last year. I brought a portable AC to my mom, it was 32c in her 2nd story bedroom after sunset. Yeah of course those temps are not unheard of in some regions. But I am north of the 45th parallel. It isn’t normal and a “siesta” won’t make it so. We fucked up, the planet is getting hotter. We need to adapt. Where I live, electricity is mainly generated through hydroelectric dams. Yeah, it fucks up the fish, but it is better than coal or methane. And yes, I will unabashedly run my AC to make my home habitable. It isn’t accepting defeat, it is allowing us to live. I wonder, as you wrote this reply, what was the temperature inside your home? I am sure you will tell us with the same zeal that was behind your original reply. If not, kindly keep your “customs” to yourself while people die of heat sickness in their homes.
    - spaniard89277 4y ago
      Dude, you simply can't pay the electricity bills for AC. I mean, you can if you have good income, but prices are much higher than the US and salaries are much lower.
- tiagod 4y ago
  In Portugal, you can just not afford it on normal wages (I'm not counting tech workers and "digital nomads" (who only make things worse)) Sure, you might be able to purchase the system and get it installed, but energy costs are astronomical.
birksherty 4y ago
What about ceiling fans? Do you have them? Or is it never that needed before too? In India where high temperature and humidity is always there, most people uses fans, AC only by rich and upper middle class.

huijzer 4y ago

> Are portable A/C units not available or too expensive? Too expensive. The price of electricity is much higher here (https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-price...).

Proven 4y ago

oliwarner 4y ago

Yes! Let's magic 30 million new AC units into existence and pump another 105GW of power onto the grid! Doing this stuff at population scale is nearly impossible. It would also cause secondary heat issues and make heatwaves much worse for the local environment. It's a bad idea.