France logged around 1,000 heat deaths while a cheap air conditioner stays banned by facade rules. The same reflex stopped Europe building anything new.
Nice city, Phoenix. But nobody dares pick up a dropped coin in daylight, given how quickly metal heats in contact with semi-melted asphalt. Severe burns requiring skin grafts occur every summer. Water shortages. Dead elders. Plastics on verge of dribbling like the wax off a lit candle. Fumes rising off asphalt, mildly toxic and potentially flammable. Pets collapsing and provided “final mercy”.
Watching how Europe adapts, I think old people will still be dying of the heat here in 2036, same as now. At least you have AC. Honestly, looking at every system as a mechanism, through an engineer's eyes, is a curse. I'd give it up gladly if I could.
not all New Yorkers have AC and many of those who do often have to make choices of running it or not due to budget
there is an increasing number of older NYCers who find it necessary to exploit public libraries for free cooling and free wifi in summer, then go home to only run AC when sleeping
yet others in much worse situations
personally, I find sleeping with AC make my lungs itch… not the unit… this one is only 7Y old and therefore in good condition…
ugly thing for all NYC residents is lack of drinking water unless buying overpriced bottled water or too sweet soda
I have been carrying around two one liter bottles daily since the start of June and expect to do so till September… if it get bad next week it will be three one liter bottles
my prediction is this will become another change, another new normal, being a minor hassle but as well moderate extra exercise carrying 3 KG extra payload
Bitter joke in New York City:
Phoenix in 2026 is New York City in 2036.
Nice city, Phoenix. But nobody dares pick up a dropped coin in daylight, given how quickly metal heats in contact with semi-melted asphalt. Severe burns requiring skin grafts occur every summer. Water shortages. Dead elders. Plastics on verge of dribbling like the wax off a lit candle. Fumes rising off asphalt, mildly toxic and potentially flammable. Pets collapsing and provided “final mercy”.
New York City in 2026 is Paris in 2036.
Watching how Europe adapts, I think old people will still be dying of the heat here in 2036, same as now. At least you have AC. Honestly, looking at every system as a mechanism, through an engineer's eyes, is a curse. I'd give it up gladly if I could.
my reason for laughter?
not all New Yorkers have AC and many of those who do often have to make choices of running it or not due to budget
there is an increasing number of older NYCers who find it necessary to exploit public libraries for free cooling and free wifi in summer, then go home to only run AC when sleeping
yet others in much worse situations
personally, I find sleeping with AC make my lungs itch… not the unit… this one is only 7Y old and therefore in good condition…
ugly thing for all NYC residents is lack of drinking water unless buying overpriced bottled water or too sweet soda
I have been carrying around two one liter bottles daily since the start of June and expect to do so till September… if it get bad next week it will be three one liter bottles
my prediction is this will become another change, another new normal, being a minor hassle but as well moderate extra exercise carrying 3 KG extra payload
observations:
== always look at priorities
== not enough to just define goals
== nobody wants to prepare for emergency
== everyone wants luxuries even at the expense of others going without basic necessities