[MCN] Sample of readers' response to Guardian's "A chilling truth: our addiction to air conditioning must end"

Tue Sep 3 00:02:15 EDT 2019

This article on the air-conditioning was quite timely, as I spent two
uncomfortable hours Sunday evening in the air-conditioned Roxy Theater.
I'm already fanatically opposed to air conditioning practically everywhere,
but i seldom mention it to management.  However I hope others will join me
in a complaint to the Roxy as I feel our community theater might just
listen and act for all the larger environmental reasons.  I think 78 would
be a tolerable temperature, and definitely more comfortable than the 68 I
felt Sunday.

On Sun, Sep 1, 2019, 3:36 PM Lance Olsen via Missoula-Community-News <
missoula-community-news at bigskynet.org> wrote:

> A chilling truth: our addiction to air conditioning must end
> <https://news.google.com/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9lbnZpcm9ubWVudC8yMDE5L3NlcC8wMS9hLWNoaWxsaW5nLXRydXRoLW91ci1hZGRpY3Rpb24tdG8tYWlyLWNvbmRpdGlvbmluZy1tdXN0LWVuZNIBb2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9lbnZpcm9ubWVudC8yMDE5L3NlcC8wMS9hLWNoaWxsaW5nLXRydXRoLW91ci1hZGRpY3Rpb24tdG8tYWlyLWNvbmRpdGlvbmluZy1tdXN0LWVuZA?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen>
> *Letters:* Readers respond to Stephen Buranyi's long read on how air
> cooling systems burn electricity and fuel global heating.
> The Guardian
> 4 hours ago
> *Opinion*
>
>
> https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/01/a-chilling-truth-our-addiction-to-air-conditioning-must-end
>
> <https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZveG5ld3MuY29tL2VudGVydGFpbm1lbnQvYW1lcmljYW4tcGllLXNpbmdlci1kb24tbWNsZWFuLXBhcmlzLWR5bGFuLXNwZW5kaW5n0gEA?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen>
>
> *A sampling of reader opinions*
>
>
> Kudos to Stephen Buranyi for drawing attention to the growth of air
> conditioning worldwide and the accompanying taste for cold in a time of
> global warming (Blowing cold and hot
> <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/the-air-conditioning-trap-how-cold-air-is-heating-the-world>,
> The long read, 29 August). Having lived and worked in the American south, I
> can attest there are even more pernicious dimensions to this addiction to
> cold. Restaurants and bars are kept uncomfortably chilly, thus encouraging
> higher levels of consumption (heat dampens the desire to eat), fuelling not
> only profits but the obesity crisis.
>
> Cold has become a mark of prestige: the fancier the establishment, be it
> office block or shopping mall, the colder it is likely to be. Anecdotally,
> moving between these absurd temperature extremes several times a day seems
> to increase the incidence of colds. When I requested that the AC in my
> workplace (a public university) be set to a warmer level, the response of
> the facilities staff was to provide a heater for my office. Here in New
> York, a hotel on my street keeps a roaring fire in the lobby – in August –
> while the ambient indoor temperature is freezing.
>
> All this amounts to what Richard Seymour has recently called “climate
> sadism <https://www.patreon.com/posts/29360296>” – a form of masochism
> outwardly and ostentatiously directed, consumptive and destructive madness.
> May we find ways not to get caught up in its drive.
>
> *Emanuela Bianchi*
> *New York*
> ===============================================================
>
> When I was a legal adviser to the Export Credits Guarantee Department back
> in the 1970s I was told by an architect that he had been retained by the
> ruler of one of the Gulf states to build a tower office block along the
> lines of those now disfiguring the City of London. He asked his client
> where he would like the power station as the block would consume inordinate
> amounts of electricity for air conditioning.
>
> The architect pointed out to his client that it would be more sensible to
> keep to traditional styles of building, like the medieval souks, which are
> kept relatively cool by judicious circulation of air.
>
> It seems that the architect’s advice was not heeded. We now have
> extraordinary developments such as Dubai, which must be consuming energy at
> a prodigious rate.
>
> *Dr Anthony J Cooper*
> *Great Shelford**, Cambridgeshire*
> ========
> Sign up to the Green Light email to get the planet's most important stories
>
> Read more
>
>
> ================================================================================
>
> Stephen Buranyi says “the warmer it gets, the more we use air
> conditioning”. He is right for the richest of us. Others have to cope with
> such temperatures, or die. The 1995 Chicago heatwave led to 739
> heat-related deaths over five days, of the mainly elderly poor who could
> not afford air conditioning and did not open windows for fear of crime.
>
> Comfort really is a social construct. People adapt to those conditions
> they normally occupy, and if they become uncomfortable, they change
> themselves, or their environment, to return to comfort.
>
> In a world of rising energy prices, tanking economies, grid failures and
> more extreme weather events we have to think differently. Imagine a future
> where buildings are run for as much of the day and year as possible, on
> local natural energy, from sun and wind, and only when absolutely necessary
> are they heated and cooled. This is a revolutionary idea in societies where
> people fear crime and modern buildings are designed with too much glazing,
> and no natural ventilation and consequently overheat. For you, in your own
> home, my advice is to insulate your roof, shade and open your windows, and
> get security grilles for them. Only when this strategy fails, move rooms,
> locations or, in extremis, use mechanical cooling. Simples.
>
> *Susan Roaf*
> *(Emeritus professor **of architectural engineering, Heriot Watt
> University), Oxford*
>
> ============================================================
>
> Your article does not mention the decades of scientific experiments
> proving we do not need AC, if we design or add the right construction.
>
> The Building Research Station in Watford has an experimental, comfortable,
> office block with no AC. It works by having a construction of exposed “high
> thermal mass”, solid plaster on concrete ceilings, floors, walls. At night
> cool air flows through to build up a store of “coolth”, so no noise, or bad
> air problem in daytime with windows closed.
>
> Usual office and modern home construction has the opposite of high thermal
> mass. The sun’s heat comes in and has nowhere to go but to raise the air to
> stifling temperatures.
>
> In the experimental building the windows are shaded to reduce
> over-heating, and the lesser heat soaks away into the heavy construction,
> leaving air at moderate temperature.
>
> The same effect is felt in solid brick or concrete homes. My own 1900 flat
> has been very cool all night and day with heavy construction, sucking away
> the heat. My son’s modern flat has been far too hot, with very high winter
> insulation, covered with only 1cm of plasterboard, nowhere for heat to soak
> away.
>
> Regulations are going to be changed to make low winter energy buildings
> cooler in summer.
>
>
> *Anthony Edwards*
> *Retired architect, London*
>
> ======================================
>
> Stephen Buranyi’s article did not cover modern developments. In summer air
> conditioning can easily be powered directly by the sun via solar panels. In
> winter solar power stored in an electric car’s batteries can extract two
> and a half times more heat from the outside as used to power the air
> conditioner, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gas central
> heating units.
>
>
> *Donald Hawthorn*
> *Ruddington**, Nottinghamshire*
>
> *• Join the debate – email **guardian.letters at theguardian.com*
> <guardian.letters at theguardian.com>
>
> *• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit **gu.com/letters
> <https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters>*
>
> ================
> *The heads of two major central banks have written a stark warning about
> the financial risks of climate change.*
>
> "If some companies and industries fail to adjust to this new world, they
> will fail to exist," they wrote.
> The letter was co-signed by the chair of the climate-focused Network for
> Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
>
> *Mr Carney and Mr Villeroy de Galhau describe "the catastrophic effects of
> climate change"*
> <https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks>
>  already having an impact on the planet
>
>
> https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks
>
> ##########################################
>
> With Climate Losses Rising, Central Banks Push Greener Finance ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/with-climate-losses-rising-central-banks-push-greener-finance>
> With *Climate* Losses Rising, *Central Banks* Push Greener Finance. By
> ... Report serves as roadmap to spur *change* by banks, regulators.
>
> Central Banks Are Thinking Greener as Climate Change Hits Policy ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-02/central-banks-are-thinking-greener-as-climate-change-hits-policy>
> Apr 2, 2019 - *Climate change* is increasingly affecting the world's *central
> banks* and their monetary policies.
>
> Climate change challenges for central banks and financial regulators
> <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C>
> adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C
> by E Campiglio - ‎2018 - ‎Cited by 20
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&cites=3503031769075491609> -
> ‎
> Related articles
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&q=related:GSOniNVEnTD33M:scholar.google.com/>
> Title: *Climate change* challenges for *central banks* and financial
> regulators. Authors: Campiglio, Emanuele; Dafermos, Yannis; Monnin, Pierre;
> Ryan-Collins, ...
> *DOI*‎:‎10.1038/s41558-018-0175-0
>
> ================
> *The heads of two major central banks have written a stark warning about
> the financial risks of climate change.*
>
> "If some companies and industries fail to adjust to this new world, they
> will fail to exist," they wrote.
> The letter was co-signed by the chair of the climate-focused Network for
> Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
>
> *Mr Carney and Mr Villeroy de Galhau describe "the catastrophic effects of
> climate change"*
> <https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks>
>  already having an impact on the planet
>
>
> https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks
>
> ##########################################
>
> With Climate Losses Rising, Central Banks Push Greener Finance ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/with-climate-losses-rising-central-banks-push-greener-finance>
> With *Climate* Losses Rising, *Central Banks* Push Greener Finance. By
> ... Report serves as roadmap to spur *change* by banks, regulators.
>
> Central Banks Are Thinking Greener as Climate Change Hits Policy ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-02/central-banks-are-thinking-greener-as-climate-change-hits-policy>
> Apr 2, 2019 - *Climate change* is increasingly affecting the world's *central
> banks* and their monetary policies.
>
> Climate change challenges for central banks and financial regulators
> <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C>
> adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C
> by E Campiglio - ‎2018 - ‎Cited by 20
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&cites=3503031769075491609> -
> ‎
> Related articles
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&q=related:GSOniNVEnTD33M:scholar.google.com/>
> Title: *Climate change* challenges for *central banks* and financial
> regulators. Authors: Campiglio, Emanuele; Dafermos, Yannis; Monnin, Pierre;
> Ryan-Collins, ...
> *DOI*‎:‎10.1038/s41558-018-0175-0
>
> ================
> *The heads of two major central banks have written a stark warning about
> the financial risks of climate change.*
>
> "If some companies and industries fail to adjust to this new world, they
> will fail to exist," they wrote.
> The letter was co-signed by the chair of the climate-focused Network for
> Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
>
> *Mr Carney and Mr Villeroy de Galhau describe "the catastrophic effects of
> climate change"*
> <https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks>
>  already having an impact on the planet
>
>
> https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2019/april/open-letter-on-climate-related-financial-risks
>
> ##########################################
>
> With Climate Losses Rising, Central Banks Push Greener Finance ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/with-climate-losses-rising-central-banks-push-greener-finance>
> With *Climate* Losses Rising, *Central Banks* Push Greener Finance. By
> ... Report serves as roadmap to spur *change* by banks, regulators.
>
> Central Banks Are Thinking Greener as Climate Change Hits Policy ...
> <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-02/central-banks-are-thinking-greener-as-climate-change-hits-policy>
> Apr 2, 2019 - *Climate change* is increasingly affecting the world's *central
> banks* and their monetary policies.
>
> Climate change challenges for central banks and financial regulators
> <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C>
> adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018NatCC...8..462C
> by E Campiglio - ‎2018 - ‎Cited by 20
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&cites=3503031769075491609> -
> ‎
> Related articles
> <https://scholar.google.com/scholar?rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS737US737&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&q=related:GSOniNVEnTD33M:scholar.google.com/>
> Title: *Climate change* challenges for *central banks* and financial
> regulators. Authors: Campiglio, Emanuele; Dafermos, Yannis; Monnin, Pierre;
> Ryan-Collins, ...
> *DOI*‎:‎10.1038/s41558-018-0175-0
>
>
> -----------------
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