... so says an article in the New York Times.
"Today?s humans probably need air-conditioning if they want to thrive and prosper. Yet if all those new city dwellers use air-conditioning the way Americans do, life could be one stuttering series of massive blackouts, accompanied by disastrous planet-warming emissions. We can?t live with air-conditioning, but we can?t live without it."
"HeyBub" wrote in news:sdudnVp2wsITtq_NnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:
Well, most of it is true. It is a law of thermodynamics, sometimes called you can't geta free lunch. If you are collecting, transferring and expelling heat from one place to another, you need energy to pump it. Unless you're using solar power directly (no PV, perhaps a Stirling engine), that extra energy is accompanied by heat loss, i.e. more heat is produced. I love my central A/C, but I do not pretend that it saves energy over other methods. It's the price I and the environment pay for my comfort.
According a recent article (forget source).... consider all the energy used on HVAC in the US, the vast majority is used on heating.
The liberals of the northeast can bash conservatives for their AC use but on a person basis, I wonder who has the larger HVAC energy usage. On an energy us basis, is AC really any more evil than heating?
Unless we all live where naturally occurring conditions are pleasant (tolerable?), HVAC is necessity of modern life.
cheers Bob
Well, we sure *used* to live without it.
Of course, there is a lot more concrete/asphalt now for heat sinks. Not to mention tall buildings (in cities) that block the breezes. And commercial office buildings used to have windows that opened, houses had decent overhangs and - if desiged well - took advantage of the natural cooling afforded by trees and cross ventilation. Cars had wing windows that would let you direct a nice breeze inward even when it was raining. Now things are "improved".
Personally, I *still* live without it for the most part. The main heat pump for our house hasn't been on this summer - and August in Florida is hot and muggy. I do sometimes turn on the heat pump for our bedroom for a couple of hours along about sunset because the humidity rises then due to the cooler air after sunset.
We also use the air in our main car. The secondary one has no air, just wing windows. I prefer it :)
On the political front, things went to pot when Congress got air conditioning...they all used to go home when DC got hot & muggy; now they are there all year trying to dream up stuff to justify their presence.
Good point. Consider that the delta-T needed in the South for AC is less than that needed in the north for heat. Add to that, the fact that AC has an "efficiency >200%" (more than twice the energy moved as required to move it). Plus, my heating system *is* my AC (see above).
But people are *evil*.
if your talking about congress they sure arent doing much......
Maybe not, but heat is a necessity for survival. A perfectly healthy person can easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
On that basis, A/C is definitely more "evil" than heating.
easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
Never heard of heat stroke, eh???
Uh, Congress, right now, is in it's "August Recess" (August 6th thru September 7th).
Yeah!
can easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
...or Global Warming.
can easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
He said "perfectly healthy" for starter. Anyone I'm aware of that had heat stroke was either ill or was working or doing some physical activity when they should/could have stopped.
Just sitting still in the cold can kill you, but just sitting in your living room in the heat is bearable for healthy people.
That said, my house is air conditioned for my comfort.
can easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
Anything that allows the body core temperature to excede 105 F will cause heat stroke. If the temperature is over 105F and the humidity is high enough that sweating does not cause evaporative cooling, heat stroke will result - no matter what state of health you are in. There are two types of heat stroke: classic, non-exertional heat stroke (NEHS) and exertional heat stroke (EHS). Classic heat stroke occurs most commonly in, (but is not restricted to) very young or older individuals,
person can easily freeze to death. No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
I was perfectly healthy and in very good shape when I wound up in the island hospital with a kidney stone because I had been working in 100°F heat and drinking lots of island water which had a high calcium content. Lens wells on coral islands tend to have a high calcium and often high salt content in the potable water drawn from them. O_o
TDD
Back in the day, the editor of the Houston Post observed: "Our state legislature meets for 90 days every two years. That's exactly the reverse of what it should be."
I'd have to do some research. Find some links online. However, I've emailed with HVAC techs who have had some serious heat problems, working in attics. I doubt your statement is totally true.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
No perfectly healthy person has ever died because they were uncomfortably hot.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.