Is air conditioning friend or foe?

I was raised in NC , I worked the tobacco in the summer and came home to an open windows house..IN THE FALL we went to school no a/c..windows wide open..
No such thing as a/c "spas" we sweated all summer.
Is the climate controlled world better for us?

charmcityk2007-07-14T23:44:53Z

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i say we survived so long w/o it that it's not necesssary (just like cell phones); however there's been some global warming(prob. b/c of a/c) so putting up the windows just don't cut it sometimes. i think we've just become spoiled and our bodies have become accustomed to this artificial cooling.

Sancho2007-07-14T23:45:06Z

Come on, people, the human race existed for millennia in warm climates without air conditioning.
The climate controlled world is certainly more comfortable, and I for one can't imagine living in even NJ summers without AC. But then, I was raised this way and that's what I've come to expect.
Bottom line, air conditioning is still a pretty inefficient process that uses a lot of energy. It's probably bad for us and for the planet in the long run. Unfortunately, our current society depends on it...without it, our computers would be in pretty sad shape, and our unaccustomed bodies would suffer for the first few really hot seasons.

Nick T2007-07-14T23:42:03Z

I'd say a definite no, sure A/C is a luxury in some places, in others it's absolutely required. There are many towns in the desert where the temperature reaches 110+ degrees, I think it would dangerous to have communities in these kinds of places without A/C. To me though A/C is just one luxury of modern technology, and to not use it would be the same as not wanting to use computers or electricity.

Anonymous2007-07-15T05:49:19Z

Temperature has a lot to do with productivity and success. If it's too hot, people aren't as productive because heat makes you sleepy, and if you move around, it gets hotter, and you sweat. That's why people in colder or temperate countries are wealthier. But sure, you can survive without a/c, but you will be less productive, and you can't be a superpower. But you can get by without it and still have a descent life.

cheques play2007-07-14T23:46:45Z

In my opinion, air conditioning can be a friend or foe depending on where you reside and work. In my profession, the air is almost always on. In the winter, it sucks. In the summer, it's lovely. People who reside in places where the temps can reach unbearable, heat that is, air conditioning can be their best friend.

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