Give up AC to save future generations?

[coberst]

Give up AC to save future generations?

I am inclined to think that each human generation must consider itself as the steward of the earth and therefore must make available to the succeeding generations an inheritance undiminished to that received.

In this context what does "careful and responsible management" mean? I would say that there are two things that must be begun to make the whole process feasible. The first is that the public must be convinced that it is a responsible caretaker and not an owner and secondly the public must be provided with an acceptable standard whereby it can judge how each major issue affects the accomplishment of the overall task. This is an ongoing forever responsibility for every nation but for the purpose of discussion I am going to speak about it as localized to the US.

Selfishness and greed are fundamental components of human nature. How does a nation cause its people to temper this nature when the payoff goes not to the generation presently in charge but to generations yet to come in the very distant future? Generations too far removed to be encompassed by the evolved biological impulse to care for ones kin.

How is it possible to cause a man or woman to have the same concern for a generation five times removed as that man or woman has for their own progeny? I suspect it is not possible, but it does seem to me to be necessary to accomplish the task of stewardship.

Would it be possible to cause the American people to reject completely the use of air-conditioning so that generations five times removed could survive? Is it possible to create in a person a rational response strong enough to overcome the culturally developed nature of greed and selfishness? The motivation force must be instinctually based, i.e. based upon moral instinct honed through reason in the form of a science of morality.

I claim that a compelling sense of stewardship must come through a comprehension of the science of morality (yet to be developed).

[Thomas Knierim]

Excellent idea!

We have just built a house in Thailand. It doesn't have any AC. Thailand has day temperatures around 30 deg. C (that's 86 F for you lads across the pacific). In order to cope with these temperatures, we have reflective foil under the roof, temperature insulating double walls and lots of openings for appropriate ventilation. Every room is equipped with a ceiling fan, and the roof is vented on all sides. We also plan to plant large trees in the garden to shade the southwest side of the house.

Cheers, Thomas

[Akamu]

Excellent idea!

We have just built a house in Thailand. It doesn't have any AC. Thailand has day temperatures around 30 deg. C (that's 86 F for you lads across the pacific). In order to cope with these temperatures, we have reflective foil under the roof, temperature insulating double walls and lots of openings for appropriate ventilation. Every room is equipped with a ceiling fan, and the roof is vented on all sides. We also plan to plant large trees in the garden to shade the southwest side of the house.

Cheers, Thomas

:D That is a bigger problem here where I live. We see temperatures of 120 deg. F (or 48.8 deg. C). Though I believe it would be plausible to cope with such temperatures, the act of getting the 2 million people who live here to comply flirts with the realm of impossibility. Also such methods as planting large vegetation to help water down the heat a bit is not only extremely difficult (as this is a desert), it is also illegal (as this is a desert suffering from severe drought and water conservation laws are in effect).

[schrodinger]

Give up AC to save future generations?



Would it be possible to cause the American people to reject completely the use of air-conditioning so that generations five times removed could survive? Is it possible to create in a person a rational response strong enough to overcome the culturally developed nature of greed and selfishness? The motivation force must be instinctually based, i.e. based upon moral instinct honed through reason in the form of a science of morality.



I take exception when you say “American people” as if only Americans use air conditioning. I have had the fortune or misfortune, of travelling throughout this wonderful world of ours and have seen many things. Among them are air-conditioned bus stops in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and indoor ski slopes in Dubai, also in United Arab Emirates. There are shopping malls in Bangkok, Thailand that are air-conditioned to the point where it is advisable to wear a sweater before entering, despite the 90 degree F heat outside. My home in Thailand is not air-conditioned, even though I do not have the advantage of living up in the cool hills of Chiangmai, as Thomas does. I am down in the flats of Rayong province where temperatures rarely dip below 90 degrees F. Fortunately; we have a large plot of land with many shade trees and a cool sea breeze at night. Ceiling fans in every room are enough to keep us reasonably cool. However, I would not think of driving here if it were not for AC in my car! The inside of a car in this heat is lethal without air-conditioning. I think AC is as essential as electricity in many cases and no one should be begrudged or derided for making proper usage of it. Like everything else, it can be abused, and it is the abuse that needs to be discouraged. So if you were to write about abuse of AC, and not limit your scope to “American people” I would concur.

[coberst]

AC was just one example of what sacrifices that must be considered by a person who seeks to act in a moral fashion about what we owe to future generations.

I speak only for Americans because I know too little about other nations to speak for them.

I think that we have for such a long period been under the false impression that only religion can provide moral council that we are unlikely to seriously consider this matter of a science for morality immediately. Our adult population must become more intellectually sophisticated for this to happen. We are still in a Sunday-school sort of sophistication toward this matter.

[Thomas Knierim]

I've been to places with desert climate. The key to create bearable indoor temperatures is using insulating wall and roof materials and small openings that prevent passive heating and maximise ventilation, and extra high walls for shading. Flat roofs and high ceilings also help. If you look at the traditional buildings that desert people created before the introduction of AC you find all of these architectural principles in these buildings.

By the way, in Thailand outdoor temperatures often climb into the 40s Celsius, too. The humidity is much higher though, which makes it feel even hotter.

Cheers, Thomas

[the_aphid]

This is one reason why I will likely remain in Vancouver for the rest of my life. I love avoiding the temperature extremes. Back in Ontario you'd get some very hot and humid summers, but once I lived on my own I couldn't even afford an AC even if I wanted one, so I just managed. Out here you can really just manage to control a reasonable temperature just by opening or closing your window, and keeping a sweater within reach. :) I have very small hydro bills.

[Chan Tiger]

How is it possible to cause a man or woman to have the same concern for a generation five times removed as that man or woman has for their own progeny? I suspect it is not possible, but it does seem to me to be necessary to accomplish the task of stewardship.

It's not only possible, it's been done before, at least once:

"In every deliberation we must consider the impact on the seventh generation."

-- Great Law of the Iroquois

[bcr666]

Give up AC to save future generations?

Why do you think Air Conditioning is bad for the environment.

[coberst]

Why do you think Air Conditioning is bad for the environment.

AC was just one example of what sacrifices that must be considered by a person who seeks to act in a moral fashion about what we owe to future generations.

[Thomas Knierim]

Why do you think Air Conditioning is bad for the environment.

Obviously because ACs are the largest power consumers in an average household or building (in a hot climate). Heating devices such as continuous flow heaters, electrical radiators, etc. are also big power consumers. These devices increase the energy footprint of a building significantly.

And since the energy has to be produced somehow, they have an environmental impact.

Cheers, Thomas