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The "need" for AC has to be subjective. One century ago no-one had AC, and even today I suspect that billions of people live in hot climates without AC. Sure y

The "need" for AC has to be subjective. One century ago no-one had AC, and even today I suspect that billions of people live in hot climates without AC. Sure you may argue that some of them may not have running water or toilets, either, but I think AC has to be on the 'luxury' side of the scale and also something really 'needed' when people fight the local climate instead of adapting to it.

readthenotes1 4y ago
Or moving to more temperate climes
Sharlin 4y ago
In Europe fewer than 10% of homes have AC. Europe is not much cooler on average than the US, although granted the "hot and humid" killer combination is more common in the Southern US than in Southern Europe. But it must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where reasonable comfort requires advanced technology.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  > But it must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where reasonable comfort requires advanced technology. One aspect is that the US (and other countries) follow a mostly Northern European way of life even in tropical or otherwise hot areas. For instance, having to wear a suit to work in a glass office in Florida makes no sense and happens because of a disconnect between the dominant culture and the local environment, and modern technology makes this disconnect persist because they can, in this case, just install AC and keep the suit (and the glass walls).
  - Sharlin 4y ago
    Indeed, the failure (refusal?) to adapt to local conditions is just… arrogant.
- megaman821 4y ago
  Except the average European home is burning a non-renewable resource for heat at 4x the energy cost of running a AC. Plus the need for AC correlates pretty strongly with solar output, and there is no equivalent renewable correlation for heat. It must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where comfort requires burning carbons.

readthenotes1 4y ago

Or moving to more temperate climes

Sharlin 4y ago

In Europe fewer than 10% of homes have AC. Europe is not much cooler on average than the US, although granted the "hot and humid" killer combination is more common in the Southern US than in Southern Europe. But it must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where reasonable comfort requires advanced technology.

mytailorisrich 4y ago
> But it must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where reasonable comfort requires advanced technology. One aspect is that the US (and other countries) follow a mostly Northern European way of life even in tropical or otherwise hot areas. For instance, having to wear a suit to work in a glass office in Florida makes no sense and happens because of a disconnect between the dominant culture and the local environment, and modern technology makes this disconnect persist because they can, in this case, just install AC and keep the suit (and the glass walls).
- Sharlin 4y ago
  Indeed, the failure (refusal?) to adapt to local conditions is just… arrogant.
megaman821 4y ago
Except the average European home is burning a non-renewable resource for heat at 4x the energy cost of running a AC. Plus the need for AC correlates pretty strongly with solar output, and there is no equivalent renewable correlation for heat. It must be asked whether it makes sense at all to live in places where comfort requires burning carbons.