Recent Musings:
How 'bout this heat?
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Whew - it's a hot one! I'm always curious how people before a/c, or without a/c, survive(d) during these days. I'm a fairly hardcore no a/c kind of girl, but not when it's over 85° in my apartment with humidity.
I have convinced myself that it's hotter now than it used to be and I contribute that to our lifestyle; we produce a lot of heat in America. I used to drive a basic Geo Storm with no air conditioning and sitting at a stoplight in the summer was like willingly baking yourself in an oven. Besides the fact that it was already hot out, the heat from the blacktop would rise up, the heat from other vehicles' engines and their a/c would blow into my car and I would nearly combust! Take that times 3,000,000 and that's a start to our heat. Add to that the fact that Americans drive everywhere. Add to that the fact that Americans have a/c in nearly all their homes and everywhere else they go. (A/c produces more heat, btw.) Add to that the fact that the majority of our country is paved and covered with strip malls. Do you see where I'm going with this? We've done this to ourselves!!
I heard someone say last night that unless a person can present a solution with the problem they're complaining about, then you should just let them complain but not take them seriously. Here's my solution(s): drive less and walk if or when able; carpool; plant more trees; keep green space; use a/c in extreme conditions; keep your a/c at reasonable temperatures - say 73° to 78°; learn to enjoy the outdoors; slow down your active lifestyle for a while and respect the summer for what it is - HOT!
Just some Rhonda Sue suggestions, but at least consider them (wink, wink)!