I chuckled once when in Ireland I heard an 80-degree day described as a "terrible heat wave."

Now, however, I hear my U.S. friends complaining of similar temperatures. Whether it's an effect of aging or of living in air-conditioned environments, the temperature considered "tolerable" seems to be falling.

How to change this when Boomers are aging and experiencing increased physical limitations, along with increased expectations that their environment should accommodate them?

Changed building techniques could help. Obviously, renewable/nonpolluting energy sources are a first-line answer. Building materials are important too: while stone houses and earth-berm or haybale homes can stay relatively cool year-round, the brick rowhouses found in many cities can turn into deathtraps during triple-digit days. Traditional homes in tropical zones were designed to capture cooling breezes. Surely there are other low-energy, non-AC alternatives.

But, as with most things, the first change needs to be in our attitudes and expectations.

Phila Hoopes
phila@greensitesunited.com
www.greensitesunited.com

Brilliant article indeed. From my experience in the field of architecture I have this to say: The problem particularily in the US is that Americans have conditioned themseleves literally and figuratively into a nation of thermal whimps. Little environmental changes beyond a certain comfort level that might actually (gasp!) mean a little sweating or the tremendous inconvenience of bringing a sweater, are intolerable now. Instead the AC is switched on, our brains and tremendous ability to adapt is turned off. And even in the most benign areas such as San Francisco I still see big AC units built in, where some operable windows (except for high-rises) would do just fine. Yet outside we have the biggest natural AC available: the cooling fog and sea breeze.
Where is the individual participation and minimal sacrifice in making our environments work for us and sustainably for all?
It has worked before the invention of AC and it still does in many parts of the world. And by the way, AC heating, another technology Americans are stuck with now, is so arcane compared to hydronic systems that are silent, way more efficient and of better heating quality. The US has in so many ways developed backwards while feeling superior - right now the administration is prime example of that.

To me this is another sign of how any greedy Me-Society will fail at last - stuck and clueless in its lame plastic bubble. The only way out is global awareness, and Treehugger is doing a great part of information towards that, but more needs to be done here. So look at any new 10 dollar bill, right side, red text, and act upon it!

Having previously lived overseas, I was amazed to find upon moving to Toronto that many people have their heating on 24hrs a day for 7 or 8 months, and then their aircon on 24hrs a day for 4or 5 months. Some people I know are unwilling to wear a sweater indoors in winter, or to use a thick duvet at night, which for me are some of the good things about that time of year! I think it will provide difficult to curtail these habits until the energy costs really hit people's pockets hard.

I'm in Indiana - with no ac, and am handling it just fine. I find I do need a sweater when I go inside stores & restaurants though!

Has anyone compared the THery-ness of a whole house fan with a/c? I like the concept of a whole house fan (sucking the bad hot air out at night, thus encouraging the cool night air in), but if the power required is similar to an air conditioner for the same period of time, I guess it's just an aesthetic appeal (fresh cool air vs. stale canned cool air).

I don't think there's any comparison, KPod. I just looked up a few power stats. The whole house fans I found used 120-600 watts. The first Energy Star qualified large-room air conditioner I found used 20amps x 230 volts=4600 watts. Even small air conditioners are in the 1500-2000 watt range. Of course neither whole house fans nor AC units are on all the time mind you. I don't think the fan would be on so much it would nearly equal the power consumption of an AC unit.

Of course we've got to admit it -- a whole house fan just makes things more livable. It doesn't provide the positive chill that AC does. If you're into that chill I don't think there's any alternative.

My personal solution is to spend a lot of time in the basement. Too bad most new houses don't have basements. They really come in handy and they consume 0 energy to use.

If you combined an outdoor misting system in front of the windows and an attic fan you might get a decent cooling effect. I concidered trying that but it sounded like too big of a project.

Hey Bottleman - I thought I was the only person that appreciated a basement - LOL. I've spent 2 nights down there this summer.

I think in moderation AC isn't a bad thing. People cranking the AC down to 65 and stuff so they can put a blanket on really adds on the strain. Also heating/cooling areas of the house you aren't using; one can cover the holes under the doors and seal off the rooms rarely in use like guest rooms and stuff. People up north heating like crazy are nuts. I live in TX...I'd give anything to be able to wear a sweater anywhere.

I actually believe a part of the problem lies in the construction of some older homes. Many older homes, like the one I live in, were designed to trap heat. They are well insulated, have low cielings and high, narrow windows. Air from outside doesn't circulate inside easily and once it heats up it doesn't cool down quickly. An 80 degree day is comfortable if you can spend it outside but is far less comfortable inside; particularly at night when the temperature drops to the 70s outside and stays in the mid 80s indoors even with the windows open.

It's a problem they'll have to find an alternative to before they can just suggest people just turn the AC off or renovate teir home and actually get them to comply. People don't always intend to be wasteful. Existing circumstances often determine how you live. I'd love to replace my windows; I just don't have the money for that. Cost-effective alternatives are necessary.

http://tinyurl.com/lqoly

Inuit 'need' AC too.

The ancient AC unit that came with my condo brokedown before summer started...costs thousands to replace, so I used a desk fan to keep cool.

Architecture and building techniques aren't the only solution. As I point out in my blog entries on this there are alternatives that have been known to our ancestors for thousands of years. For example there's a whole range of herbs that are cooling ... mint especially is known for this, and is a common ingredient in teas that help with the hot season. I found out from my acupuncturist a couple weeks ago that lemon is also cooling, and I've been drinking lemonwater for a couple months now (I have a large lemon tree in the back yard). I hesitate to call it lemonade because it's not cooled, and not sugared, but it's just lemon juice diluted in water.

I'm not quite ready to give up AC for lemon water but I'd say I'm definately willing to deal with higher temperatures during the day. Also something everyone will be looking at closer in the near future is geo-thermal climate systems. it will lower heating and cooling costs on both the environment and your wallet.

Here's a cheap way to stay cool -- buy some wristbands and then put ice cubes between the band and the arteries in your wrists.

I also want to second the suggestion about herbs - as well as foods. It definitely helps to emphasize cooling foods and herbs during the summer and warming foods and herbs in the cooler months, unless you have some sort of deficiency which makes cooling or warming foods and herbs unhealthy for your particular condition.

Also, just work with physics, as others have suggested. We don't sleep upstairs on the hotter nights. We just move down to the ground floor and sleep on futons on the floor, with the fan on if necessary.

I sleep much better that way than with a small air conditioner in the window.

I blame tarmac covered roofs. Somehow with all my jobs I end up on the top floor directly under the flat roof. All the other floors are fine in summer. Just the top floor is a sauna.

So: more grass roofs an/or photovoltaicson the roof.

Just like with bicycles, it's the western aversion to sweatiness that's driving the A/C addiction.

My boss keeps the office at 71 degrees all day long, just so he doesn't sweat in case he has to meet with clients.

Where did this aversion to a little moisture on the brow come from, especially in a culture where people lie on lighted beds to get that "healthy" tan? I don't know, but you need to change that before you start asking people to sip lemon water instead of cranking the A/C.

I don't know, but you need to change that before you start asking people to sip lemon water instead of cranking the A/C.

So, unless the entire culture is no longer averse to sweating, we shouldn't recommend easy solutions to keep cool?