215 Absence of AC

The absence of air (conditioning)

What a summer of stifling heat, extreme humidity, and wild storms. I never appreciated air conditioning so much until it was absent.

We found out this summer as we booked a weekend in the mountains. We had been there before but not during a heat wave. We had never noticed there was no air conditioning! What a shock. We learned to turn on the ceiling fans early in the day and keep them going. Nights were a treat as it really did cool off.

In reality, most of us go from our air-conditioned cars to our air-conditioned houses. When we venture out, the venues are definitely – you guessed it--air conditioned! 

When checking out the history of this amazing invention, I found out people would flock to movie theaters several decades ago to cool off since air conditioning was more common practice in businesses than in residences. 

Of course, now that is not the case as most homes are equipped with central air and in the least with window units.

Cooling of structures dates back to the ancient Egyptians, according to livescience.com so it is not a new idea. But it has become the rule rather than the exception.

I remember as a child there was very little air conditioning. Cars had to be ordered with the special feature and were much more expensive than those without. Houses might have a window unit but fans were more commonplace. Being warm was no big deal in the ‘50s and ‘60s and we learned to adjust. The shades were drawn in the afternoon to keep the house cool. Evenings usually brought relief as the sun went down. 

The person we have to thank who made our lives so much more comfortable was Willis Carrier, an American engineer. His claim to fame is the first modern air conditioner in 1902 even though ancient civilizations came up with ways to cool structures.

Of course, his invention was improved upon to the point of where we are now with a majority of homes having some type of cooling system except some historic site like we recently visited in the mountains. It is okay for a day or two but I don’t think we could have handled it much longer.

Actually, 84 percent of U.S. homes have some type of air conditioning-- this country uses more air conditioning than all other nations combined, according to Warner Service web site.

When I go in places that are frigid and people have on sweaters to ward off the cold, I just think how lucky they really are--trying to work is much easier in the cold rather than in extreme heat. The same goes for learning--schools need to be comfortable but a little to the colder side is best.

A study finds a link between heat and lower academic achievement--and makes the case that installing air conditioning in schools could make a big difference, according to qz.com. Results conclude that heat makes it harder for students to learn in the classroom.

So there is my argument for air conditioning for all. Stay cool and chill out!

Cool, savvy Frances