I think they should fit air conditioning in schools, for the teachers more than the pupils. Everyone works better when they are comfortable. It would be better to install air conditioning instead of solar panels on the roof.
Edit: I just posted this, turned over to GB news and there's a report that councils are calling on people to remove air conditioning units - because of global warming of course - Jeez!
Back in 1976 when we had that hot summer and a drought they appointed a minister for drought. He did a great job because it started raining almost right away so perhaps they should appoint a minister of heat. Makes sense.
Haha, I love this idea, Steve! Denis Howell certainly had a magical touch with the weather back in '76. Given our track record, if we appoint a Minister for Heat, we'll probably have snow by next Tuesday.
This isn't really a big issue though is it. My kids are in the school system, have been for years, and have never had a day off with heat. Its not just anecdotal either, its very rare to hear about it. Our kids are still in school now, and have been given the option of a half day tomorrow if we want. Its only three days in total anyway, it'll be cool again by Friday. Hardly worth spending billions on the schools estate, theres 100 higher priorities.
Glad to hear your kids are managing to stay cool, Luke! You're completely right that experiences vary across the country. Though those "optional" half days are exactly the kind of managed disruption I mean—fine if you can manage it, but a proper logistical headache for a lot of working parents
I grew up in Florida in the US, and lived in Missouri most of my life. The temperatures now being experienced in Europe and England are commonplace here. In Missouri, temps over 40 Centigrade are very common, sometimes much higher than that. People die here because of it, mostly elderly or children. I caution you all to give in to it and get AC because of that. It's not going to go away. Cheap window AC units will save lives, as will swamp coolers. The insulation in your old buildings will help keep the cool air in. Until we here were able to utilize AC and fans, people just died with little fanfare. Hydration is important too. We drink all that ice for a reason! It's routinely over 100 degrees fahrenheit in the summer in a lot of places here. Last year on an RV trip we drove through southern California to Lake Havasu and it was 120 actual degrees fahrenheit. We ran two air conditioners and the dash air in the RV and we could only manage to keep it to 85 degrees. Had the RV broken down on that 100 mile trip it would have killed us, as we are older. I can't caution you all too much about it.
Places like Walmart sell really inexpensive window units, it doesn't take much to take the deadly edge off that kind of heat. Also, in inner cities there are places to go to if you're at risk for heat stroke, churches and charities do it as do some government agencies. I had a heat stroke when I was 9 years old, which was more than 65 years ago, long before global warming was a thing. It was summer in Missouri and it was 114 actual degrees fahrenheit. I was outside playing with my cousins and didn't realize it. My grandma put me in a claw foot tub full of cold water and two 5 pound bags of ice. I then went to the hospital. That kind of heat creeps up on kids and old people.
The more I learn about this the more perverse it becomes. If it is sensible to have heating in homes in the winter doesn't the same apply to AC in the summer. Are they going to tell us to switch off all those heat pumps and central heating boilers? It's like the puritans are back.
Roger Pielke has done a piece showing that countries like the US which have a tradition of AC in homes and offices have far fewer heat related deaths than countries which don't. Where is the logic to ban the use of air conditioners to save the planet if it means more people die.
There were a lot more heat related deaths in the US before the widespread use of AC. I remember when AC first became popular in the early fifties. Stores and restaurants and pharmacies would have signs in the window advertising the fact that they had AC, with a little penguin called Chilly Willy. A lot of old people, especially in the inner cities, died every summer: children did too.There was a published list of how many heat related deaths there currently were. It's illegal now to leave children locked in a car because of that. You can't leave a pet in the car either. The US has always had a lot hotter summer weather than the UK and most of Europe. But with the advent of AC that has largely stopped. We had no choice, really. There are Homeless refuges with AC for them to escape from it. Over 100° fahrenheit is common. 90 is normal. But it can get up to well over 100, which can easily kill even healthy adults, for 6 weeks at a time in mid summer through early fall. A small AC window unit is around 100 bucks, give or take a few. One refuge room can save lives. Once the politically correct fanatics lose a loved one to it, I think they'll come around.
I just read where it was 47° centigrade on the sidewalk in a major city in the UK. That will cook an egg. My cousins and I actually did that, on a sidewalk, one summer. No dog should walk on that. The bozos who want to ban AC over there ought to be made to walk on that barefooted, just to prove a point.
I think they should fit air conditioning in schools, for the teachers more than the pupils. Everyone works better when they are comfortable. It would be better to install air conditioning instead of solar panels on the roof.
Edit: I just posted this, turned over to GB news and there's a report that councils are calling on people to remove air conditioning units - because of global warming of course - Jeez!
The madness continues.
Back in 1976 when we had that hot summer and a drought they appointed a minister for drought. He did a great job because it started raining almost right away so perhaps they should appoint a minister of heat. Makes sense.
Haha, I love this idea, Steve! Denis Howell certainly had a magical touch with the weather back in '76. Given our track record, if we appoint a Minister for Heat, we'll probably have snow by next Tuesday.
This isn't really a big issue though is it. My kids are in the school system, have been for years, and have never had a day off with heat. Its not just anecdotal either, its very rare to hear about it. Our kids are still in school now, and have been given the option of a half day tomorrow if we want. Its only three days in total anyway, it'll be cool again by Friday. Hardly worth spending billions on the schools estate, theres 100 higher priorities.
Glad to hear your kids are managing to stay cool, Luke! You're completely right that experiences vary across the country. Though those "optional" half days are exactly the kind of managed disruption I mean—fine if you can manage it, but a proper logistical headache for a lot of working parents
Excellent Jamie. Thank you
Thanks so much for reading and for the kind words, Susan! Glad it resonated with you.
I grew up in Florida in the US, and lived in Missouri most of my life. The temperatures now being experienced in Europe and England are commonplace here. In Missouri, temps over 40 Centigrade are very common, sometimes much higher than that. People die here because of it, mostly elderly or children. I caution you all to give in to it and get AC because of that. It's not going to go away. Cheap window AC units will save lives, as will swamp coolers. The insulation in your old buildings will help keep the cool air in. Until we here were able to utilize AC and fans, people just died with little fanfare. Hydration is important too. We drink all that ice for a reason! It's routinely over 100 degrees fahrenheit in the summer in a lot of places here. Last year on an RV trip we drove through southern California to Lake Havasu and it was 120 actual degrees fahrenheit. We ran two air conditioners and the dash air in the RV and we could only manage to keep it to 85 degrees. Had the RV broken down on that 100 mile trip it would have killed us, as we are older. I can't caution you all too much about it.
That sounds incredibly intense, and you're spot on, we really aren't built for it over here.
Places like Walmart sell really inexpensive window units, it doesn't take much to take the deadly edge off that kind of heat. Also, in inner cities there are places to go to if you're at risk for heat stroke, churches and charities do it as do some government agencies. I had a heat stroke when I was 9 years old, which was more than 65 years ago, long before global warming was a thing. It was summer in Missouri and it was 114 actual degrees fahrenheit. I was outside playing with my cousins and didn't realize it. My grandma put me in a claw foot tub full of cold water and two 5 pound bags of ice. I then went to the hospital. That kind of heat creeps up on kids and old people.
The more I learn about this the more perverse it becomes. If it is sensible to have heating in homes in the winter doesn't the same apply to AC in the summer. Are they going to tell us to switch off all those heat pumps and central heating boilers? It's like the puritans are back.
Roger Pielke has done a piece showing that countries like the US which have a tradition of AC in homes and offices have far fewer heat related deaths than countries which don't. Where is the logic to ban the use of air conditioners to save the planet if it means more people die.
There were a lot more heat related deaths in the US before the widespread use of AC. I remember when AC first became popular in the early fifties. Stores and restaurants and pharmacies would have signs in the window advertising the fact that they had AC, with a little penguin called Chilly Willy. A lot of old people, especially in the inner cities, died every summer: children did too.There was a published list of how many heat related deaths there currently were. It's illegal now to leave children locked in a car because of that. You can't leave a pet in the car either. The US has always had a lot hotter summer weather than the UK and most of Europe. But with the advent of AC that has largely stopped. We had no choice, really. There are Homeless refuges with AC for them to escape from it. Over 100° fahrenheit is common. 90 is normal. But it can get up to well over 100, which can easily kill even healthy adults, for 6 weeks at a time in mid summer through early fall. A small AC window unit is around 100 bucks, give or take a few. One refuge room can save lives. Once the politically correct fanatics lose a loved one to it, I think they'll come around.
I just read where it was 47° centigrade on the sidewalk in a major city in the UK. That will cook an egg. My cousins and I actually did that, on a sidewalk, one summer. No dog should walk on that. The bozos who want to ban AC over there ought to be made to walk on that barefooted, just to prove a point.