I fucking hate air conditioning so much

[Red]

Sometimes as a way to shoot the breeze with my friends we'll bring up hypothetical questions, for example, would you rather live without heating or AC? For me I'd choose to get rid of AC in a heartbeat.

The amount of air conditioning we use in this fucking country (the good ol' US of A) is just unbelievable, and frankly, unless you're at risk of dying of heat stroke or working in a hot building or some shit it isn't necessary for the majority of people occupying this land.

People think it's weird when I go out in 90 degree (Fahrenheit, about 32.2 degrees celsius) weather dressed in a sweater and jeans, and while I would prefer wearing shorter clothes, the reason why I dress warmly is because I'm going to be going on buses and trains and into buildings that are going to be overly air conditioned, so I have to wear long clothes basically year-round. Hell, my fucking family air conditions the house so much that at night I wear two sweaters to sleep.

Usually the only times I want to cool down inside is when I come from outside after a long walk/run, but this is usually short lived; I'm perfectly fine using a fan to cool off. I usually like being outside in the summer though, since I prefer the nice warmth rather than the frigid cold insides.

It's one of the many spoils we have taken for granted and we use it without considering the consequence of the environment, since after all, our gluttony is more important to satiate apparantly. Funnily enough, using air conditioning so much contributes significantly to climate change, which makes us hotter, which means more people will start using MORE air conditioning (Many European countries, which generally use much less AC, are starting to use more of it now, especially after recent heatwaves). It's a viscious cycle.

I guess that's what pisses me off the most about air conditioning; It's an indulgence we not only take for granted, but neglect to consider the consequences of our actions. Me being miffed at AC is a minor thing, but the contributions to climate change will severely harm others. It simply isn't fair to harm people just because we have this thing that makes us more comfortable.

I know most of this post was just me complaining about it on a personal level, but there are serious issues here too. If you want to use air conditioning, fine, but please be modest about it. You can be perfectly comfortable lowering it less.

[brimstoneSalad]

Hating AC might be a bit of a privilege, since the total lack of it can be a lot different (constant unyielding heat you can't escape). You may not realize how much you're benefitting from the AC because you're not experiencing it actually off. Keep in mind also that AC dehumidifies.

However, we definitely need to improve efficiency. Better insulation, and more use of dew point evaporative cooling (ideally outside the home envelope) and geothermal mass.
With good infrastructure, air cooling to comfortable human temps should be a very low energy proposition.

Consider that about 20 ft underground, the average temp year-round is around 50-60 degrees F. Pop a couple pipes down there using directional boring and you can pump air or water through those tubes (comparable in power use to a mere fan) to substantially cool your home or apartment complex in the middle of summer -- and heat it in the winter when the outside temp is under 50 F. You're limited by surface area, but it can do a lot for very little.

It's more about cooling (and heating) smarter with the right kinds of infrastructure investments that will save us, rather than being uncomfortable all summer.

Good insulation and smart building can also help a lot, reflective roofing (and pavement) can increase local albedo lowering the air temperature in a local bubble, and air gaps can allow convection to carry away excess heat hitting the roof and sheathing further lowering the temperature inside.

[Jebus]

Even though I live in a tropical climate, I could do just fine with strong fans rather than AC. My dogs are another story. They are never happier than sleeping in an airconditoned room.

I am considering moving to a cooler zone to make the dogs more comfortable.

[Red]

Hating AC might be a bit of a privilege, since the total lack of it can be a lot different (constant unyielding heat you can't escape). You may not realize how much you're benefitting from the AC because you're not experiencing it actually off. Keep in mind also that AC dehumidifies.

Not sure about that for me, there was a time when my house's AC stopped working for a week or so. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but after the first few days I got used to it. I miss that time.

Some countries in Europe don't use AC much in their homes, even in countries that are warmer than average (like in Italy). Though they might need it more now due to climate change.

However, we definitely need to improve efficiency. Better insulation, and more use of dew point evaporative cooling (ideally outside the home envelope) and geothermal mass.
With good infrastructure, air cooling to comfortable human temps should be a very low energy proposition.

Maybe also growing trees around houses, not only as a way to fight climate change a little, but make houses cooler be default without needing more energy.

Consider that about 20 ft underground, the average temp year-round is around 50-60 degrees F. Pop a couple pipes down there using directional boring and you can pump air or water through those tubes (comparable in power use to a mere fan) to substantially cool your home or apartment complex in the middle of summer -- and heat it in the winter when the outside temp is under 50 F. You're limited by surface area, but it can do a lot for very little.

Sounds like a good idea.

It's more about cooling (and heating) smarter with the right kinds of infrastructure investments that will save us, rather than being uncomfortable all summer.

In my experience people don't just set it to a temperature they can be perfectly comfortable with, they set it to an excessive amount. I have a hard time believing that for someone whose ideal temperature is 70 will die if it's set at 71, unless they're super old and brittle.

Good insulation and smart building can also help a lot, reflective roofing (and pavement) can increase local albedo lowering the air temperature in a local bubble, and air gaps can allow convection to carry away excess heat hitting the roof and sheathing further lowering the temperature inside.

Like what I said with the trees earlier.

[Red]

Even though I live in a tropical climate, I could do just fine with strong fans rather than AC. My dogs are another story. They are never happier than sleeping in an airconditoned room.

I am considering moving to a cooler zone to make the dogs more comfortable.

Fans do the job. But with dogs, it might be a little harder.
Where would you move if you decided you would? Hope not England.

[Jamie in Chile]

I suppose if it's 40C (104C) and someone is using aircon to cool to 35C (95F) you wouldn´t complain about that, right.

But cooling all the way down to 20C doesn´t feel right given climate change.

I think heat only to 18C (64F) (21C with babies, sick people and old people) and then maybe cool down to something like 27C (80F). Obviously as a simplification.

[Red]

I suppose if it's 40C (104C) and someone is using aircon to cool to 35C (95F) you wouldn´t complain about that, right.

Yes, I might, might make an exception under such circumstances.

Speaking for myself I'm perfectly fine at 75-76F (about 24C), but I am willing to put up with 72F (22-23C).

But cooling all the way down to 20C doesn´t feel right given climate change.

https://youtu.be/_AYzaYR35D4?t=3

It's kinda like showering. It's understandable to take a warm shower (although if you are willing to do so, cold showers are pretty nice too, which I know is weird coming from me after complaining about the frigidness of AC), but that doesn't mean you should go and turn the hot water to max.

I think heat only to 18C (64F) (21C with babies, sick people and old people) and then maybe cool down to something like 27C (80F). Obviously as a simplification.

I'm sure it varies depending on the person, and if they need AC they should use it as needed, but as we both said, there's little need for a lot of people to put it to the degree they do.

Is AC particularly common in Chile?

[brimstoneSalad]

Even though I live in a tropical climate, I could do just fine with strong fans rather than AC. My dogs are another story. They are never happier than sleeping in an airconditoned room.

I am considering moving to a cooler zone to make the dogs more comfortable.

Climate change will probably only make it worse, although in my experience many dogs like to dip in a pool to cool off. Have you considered building a shade structure and a doggy pool?

[brimstoneSalad]

@Red trees are complicated, I almost mentioned them but as @Jamie in Chile and I have discussed in the past, they do involve an albedo issue.

Trees do a few good things, and a couple maybe bad ones.

1. They reduce local air pollution, though this may not be relevant to temp.

2. They provide shade, which is good for people and buildings IN that shade.

3. Trees absorb CO2 while growing (but not really much once full grown except as represented by yearly leaf litter), this is good for GLOBOAL climate, but doesn't do much to help you right by your house. Some trees also produce food, which can displace other agricultural products that have a larger climate impact, however this food is rarely collected in urban settings and usually just makes a mess and feeds a growing local rat population.

4. They provide thermal mass, which helps even out day and night temperature -- this is only helpful for places that are cooler at night.

5. They are evaporative coolers, but this is good and bad: it makes everything cooler, but it increases humidity and makes it harder for your sweat to cool you.

6. Dark leaves efficiently absorb much of the sun's radiation, increasing local temperature relative to lighter surfaces.


Superior to a tree would be a large reflective canopy (often seen as triangular sails) bouncing the sunlight into space, and under it a large arrangement of boulders for thermal mass, and IF (and only if) the humidity is low in that area maybe some misters. All areas of streets, roofs, and exterior walls should also have a high albedo to reflect light.

Trees are wonderful in cities for aesthetic and maybe for more objective mental health reasons. Their general effect on local climate however may be sub-optimal. Planting a tree to shade your building will have much less effect than insulating your building with an exterior layer of foam with a reflective metallic surface followed by a vented air-gap and light colored siding -- it barely matters how much sunlight hits the side of such a house, and what does is reflected in part back into space to lower local temperatures further.

[Jamie in Chile]

There isn´t much air con in Chile.

A country needs to be richer or hotter really to have air con, Chile is also dry heat rather than humid heat which is not as bad.

While we do have hot days, the morning and nights are cool.