Luxagraf

Having spent the seven of the last ten years in the American south, where summer is a sweltering miserable nightmare, I’ve given quite a lot of thought to heat, air-conditioning and the impacts both have had on the local culture.

There’s no denying that air-conditioning revolutionized culture (and continues to revolutionize it in the developing world as it arrives), but it has some significant tradeoffs.

In my own case for instance, when I arrived back in Athens I rented an old mill-house that had no air-con. I spent a fair bit of my time on the back porch. Actually I pretty much lived out there as soon as the summer heat kicked in. I worked outside during the day and chatted with neighbors at night. I got to know the neighbors fairly well. But I also spent quite a bit of time being miserably hot and sweating like a pig.

At the beginning of August I moved across town to a house with air-con, but no porch and I still haven’t met the neighbors.

I’m not trying to say life before air conditioning was better, just that, as with every modern convenience there’s always a downside — the porch culture that the south was once famous for is largely gone, though other things like the automobile have also contributed to its demise.

The Mental Floss article linked below has a fascinating look at what life was like before air conditioning and is chock full of interesting links for further reading. Enjoy.

Visit Site: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7424