Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environmental cost

Re:Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environment... by lurquer on Tuesday August 28, 2018 @05:16PM (#17862963)

Agree. It is odd though that this thread doesn't address clothing. It's fairy straightforward to stay warm in a cold environment using clothing, but impossible to use clothing to stay cooler in a warm environment. People up north, technically, probably use more energy heating than they really need to. (i.e., everyone could wear sweaters and coats inside.) On the other hand, in the south, A/C is absolutely essential to be comfortable.

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Re:Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environment... by crazygringo on Tuesday August 28, 2018 @09:06PM (#17864371)

It's hard to type with gloves on.

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Re:Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environment... by Aramgutang on Tuesday August 28, 2018 @10:56PM (#17865145)

Clothing isn't the only option to stay cooler in a warm environment. Drinking water is quite effective. Just plain tap water is cool enough, but if you want to drink smaller amounts, there's always chilled water in the fridge or ice in the freezer.

I usually drink 4-6 litres of tap water while at work, and I have to use a personal heater at my desk to keep warm in winter (my co-workers complain if I set the thermostat higher). When it's summer, especially when it's 35+ degrees (95 F), I'm in heaven.

In fact, the coldest I've ever felt in my life (and I've lived in cold places like Moscow) was the one time as a silly freshman in college, when I drank just under a gallon of water (couldn't quite finish it) in under a minute on a dare. So very cold, and nothing could warm me up. Just had to wait it out.

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Re:Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environment... by distances on Wednesday August 29, 2018 @05:58AM (#17867025)

You probably know already, but it's worth mentioning that drinking too much water can be deadly. There have been deaths in water drinking contests too.

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Re:Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environment... by Aramgutang on Wednesday August 29, 2018 @09:15AM (#17867957)

Yes, the stunt I pulled in college was dangerous, but adding a gallon or even two to a healthy adult's water consumption throughout the course of a day is not. Especially considering the sodium content of modern diets. And those can be supplemented by snacking on crisps, pickles, or salted nuts, if needed.

Water drinking contests, along with overhydration during/after intense physical exertion (e.g. marathons, partying on MDMA), account for nearly all known cases of death from water intoxication.

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