The Case against Air Conditioning
Stan Cox
|
S |
tan Cox was born in
1955. Most of his writings are about sustainability, ecology and agriculture.
He obtained his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He works as a geneticist for
the U.S Department of Agriculture.
The essay The
Case against Air Conditioning by Stan Cox talks about Washington
D.C. in particular and to the whole world in general. This essay talks about
why Washington/America should stop using air conditioners in everyday life with
the exception of hospitals, archives (stores), and cooling centres. The author
supports his argument by providing examples of what Washington would like
without air conditioners at work, at home, and around town.
Stan Cox wants us not
to use A.C. unnecessarily or eliminate it completely. He urges that eliminating
A.C. makes neighbourhoods have more socializing, laws laxer (softer), and it
will lessen the climate change issues. He starts out with using modern day
examples of people using air conditioning to beat the Heat and why its
bad.
Cox thinks the excessive use of
air conditioning can bring problematic consequences. Cox argues usage of air
conditioners in everyday life can be fatal. Its usage should be limited in the
premise of hospitals, archives, and cooling centres. The air conditioner
reduces humidity, busts electricity- bill and fills the atmosphere. So, it’s
wrong to use air conditioners everywhere.
Cox advocates for
A.C free Washington because excessive use of A.C can cause long summer business
hours at work. They don’t have to carry sweaters or space heaters to work in
summer. A.C free Washington would take back ceiling fans, window fans, and desk
fans. After the absence of A.C ceiling fans, window fans, and desk fans take
back and for that matter, paperweights will be brought back to America as they
may get blown away by the air produced by fans.
At home, it creates
renovation and new constructions like high ceilings, better cross ventilation
and most of all home utility bills plummet.
In urban areas,
people spend more time outdoors. Neighbourhoods start to socialize. There are
more people outside, streets in high- crime areas become safer. Deaths from
heat decline. People look out for one another during heat waves, checking in
their most vulnerable neighbours. As a result, elderly people don’t die inside
sweltering apartments. Children and others take bikes and scooters, because of
the cooling effect of air movement. In the absence of infectious gases, green
plants get sprouted on the roofs. The layers of soil and vegetation insulate
interiors from the pounding sun and water from the plants provide evaporate
cooling.
While discussing
the positive effects of reducing the use of air conditioning Cox ignores the
negative effects. He doesn’t think about the situation when some of the crucial
normal activities get inactivated.
If the government
keeps adjourning to formulate laws, policies, and schemes, that creates a lack
of time to explore them adequately. Consequently, more resources will be
required that increases expenditures.
Summing up, the
author’s message is that use of A.C. causes, in long term, global temperature
high. It also keeps people inside and away from interacting with one another.
However, if it is eliminated, things will be reversed. People will start to
think for greenery and we see trees everywhere. The rate of increasing
temperature will go down.