Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
My parents have a heat pump and their natural gas powered radiators are considerably less expensive.
760 die in UK heat wave (mostly under 90°), because only 0.5% of them have AC
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My parents have a heat pump and their natural gas powered radiators are considerably less expensive.
Mostly it's carelessness of relatives of the elderly. Most people have laughed off the heatwave warnings, but this is precisely what they are for. France in 2003 was a horrific example of this.
SpoonyBard
Banned
Ok, if you have access to cheap natural gas, then that is obviously a better option. But versus electric heaters or oil, heat pumps can be cheaper.
Hm, I guess, I don't personally turn the AC on until it's really damn hot though and I work outside a ton. Especially lately...
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NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
It truly is a privilege to post on the same forum as so many badasses. Tell us more stories of how you work in hotter temperatures!
entremet
Member
It's ignorance plain and simple. Most of the people responding are limber and healthy 20/30 years old, so they are not aware that people who die in these heat waves are usually very young and the elderly, who are more frail.
If my post came across that way than I apologize.
I was directly responding to the post I quoted and not trying to take away the seriousness of the topic. Stay safe over there you guys/gals.
Androidsleeps
Member
It's 42 C (107 F) here in Dubai 
ElectricBlue187
Member
Even the stores and restaurants don't have AC? what sort of 3rd world country is this?
Shake Appeal
Member
America's dependence on air conditioning going into an era of resource shocks and climate change is more likely to leave it a 3rd world country than the UK.
And I say that as someone living here.
CyclopsRock
Member
Just nothing about our country is designed to withstand heat like this for this long - these temperatures are not unseen here, they come basically every year but now for 3 weeks and counting. I'm on a tube train right now and its scorching, because hardly any of them are air conditioned and its all about 150 years old so it's not easy to just whack it in the trains. No one's houses etc. Its
Or we will just make more efficient air conditioning and be just fine.
Houses will need to be built differently, I'd say. Would also help in case of natural disasters.
Photolysis
Banned
It's a combination of factors.
Our buildings are designed to keep heat in. Once they heat up they're very difficult to cool down.
Very few buildings have AC because it would barely be used. Even suggesting it would be used for a couple of weeks would be generous.
Because of the UK's mild climate, we're not well equipped to deal with extreme heat or cold because the investment is not worthwhile due to the rarity of these events. We're a little better at dealing with cold, but if it's extreme then it leads to chaos.
And as usual, it's the young and the old that get hit by this.
Our buildings are designed to keep heat in. Once they heat up they're very difficult to cool down.
Very few buildings have AC because it would barely be used. Even suggesting it would be used for a couple of weeks would be generous.
Because of the UK's mild climate, we're not well equipped to deal with extreme heat or cold because the investment is not worthwhile due to the rarity of these events. We're a little better at dealing with cold, but if it's extreme then it leads to chaos.
And as usual, it's the young and the old that get hit by this.
Hot Coldman
Banned
Vivalaraza
Member
Tube have long needed AC regardless of summer heat. The new Met line trains are wonderful.
But on the whole almost everywhere that needs AC has it, big shopping complexes/buildings. At least here in London.
Of course. There's a guy on the mail route I deliver who has a three story monster house with a nice inground pool. He uses solar energy in conjunction with the power from the utility company and his bill is around 100 bucks a month during the summer. He told me that they keep the air on all the time, too. I was shocked as the power bill for my small apartment is more.
When I was stationed in Germany in 2003, we when to Paris. Lots of fun. Later on we found out that a massive amount of people were dying during that time. It was a strange revelation.
Is it really pointless to buy a small window unit? How much would it cost in the UK?
Woffls
Member
A lot of our housing is really old, especially in London where Victorian terraced houses have been converted into as many flats as possible, with pathetically small rooms, little ventilation, and no outdoor space. The relatively low temperature should not be indicative of our need for air conditioning.
That said, lack of air con doesn't kill people. There's little awareness of dealing with heat in this country, and even on a normal day people won't drink enough water or sit in the shade. Most Brits will probably find the nearest boozer and sit in the sunniest spot they can find.
The elderly are the ones who suffer from this. Probably because their relatives are all drinking cider in the park listening to the cricket.
That said, lack of air con doesn't kill people. There's little awareness of dealing with heat in this country, and even on a normal day people won't drink enough water or sit in the shade. Most Brits will probably find the nearest boozer and sit in the sunniest spot they can find.
The elderly are the ones who suffer from this. Probably because their relatives are all drinking cider in the park listening to the cricket.
The properties that need it most are probably rented, and landlords don't give a flying fuck about whether their tenants die or not.
Vivalaraza
Member
At least £100, and that would be a weak one. Might not even do a good job in a decent sized room.
And you'd use it maybe a handful times a year.
A standing fan is plenty good enough.
I guess you can add that to the list of things some Americans but virtually no Europeans have
Alx
Member
Indeed it is. I'm using one right now, and enjoying the light breeze coming through the opened windows. Using AC to cool down the whole flat sounds like a waste of energy.
That's depressing as fuck.
Napoleonthechimp
Member
I guess you can add that to the list of things some Americans but virtually no Europeans have
I have a ceiling fan in my bedroom, but it came with the house.
As has been stated many times previously:
This weather is abnormal for us. It would be a waste of money having air conditioning.
Same reason we don't all put winter tyres on in the winter, the conditions are rarely this extreme, certainly not enough to warrant the expense.
I don't know dude. It's hot and sticky but nothing out of the ordinary for many other holiday countries or just plain hotter one's. I think because such long bouts of heat are uncommon here people are just unprepared for it.
I would have assumed longer summers was more of a reason to move to the UK, not less. Certainly beats more rain and misery lol.
Vivalaraza
Member
I've heard it said it helps keep you cool.
Our "climate going to hell" is a pleasant summer for most country's, as long as you grab some good fans / cheap air con and drink plenty of water.
I have read most of this thread, and I still don't get it. I grew up in northern lower Michigan, probably similar summers to the UK, (but colder winters), we didn't have air conditioning, nor did most people I knew, and evey summer we would get some days in the 80s and it did reach the 90s every few years or so.
Hell, I lived in Santa Fe NM from 2005-08, we had summer high temperatures basically from 75-95, and our house didn't have air conditioning, we just opened the windows and used fans. Now the deep south in the US, that is something totally different. The heat plus the humidity I can see as a killer if you don't have air, but somehow people managed to live down here for years before air without massive die offs every summer...
Hell, I lived in Santa Fe NM from 2005-08, we had summer high temperatures basically from 75-95, and our house didn't have air conditioning, we just opened the windows and used fans. Now the deep south in the US, that is something totally different. The heat plus the humidity I can see as a killer if you don't have air, but somehow people managed to live down here for years before air without massive die offs every summer...
Ones in the citys do yes.
Google is telling me 90 degrees fahrenheit is only 30 degrees Celsius. To me thats perfect weather.
37 degrees plus is when it gets unbearable.
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NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
Shake Appeal
Member
They are, but the UK is a good place to be for climate change. Not as good as Northern Europe and especially Scandinavia, but still good.
This. It's pretty much all 90+ year olds who were already sick etc, not healthy people dropping dead in the streets.
I never knew that. And I have one in my bedroom. Just turned it on for the first time and "WOW" at the breeze it brings. I had my AC on the past few days because here in the North East in the States we've been hit with these crazy temperatures. Just today I took my AC out the window and replaced it with a window fan and the breeze is amazing. It's 82 degrees fahrenheit currently where I live.
Sorry to hear about those 760 people that passed away. Stay hydrated people!!
760?! Its a massacre!
I grew up in southern China in the 80s, nobody had AC. We all had overhead fans hang from the ceiling. Those really made summer heat more endurable. There was even a mini version you can hang inside the mosquito net. They feel much more comfortable the desk fans. I wonder why they are not popular in the US?
I grew up in southern China in the 80s, nobody had AC. We all had overhead fans hang from the ceiling. Those really made summer heat more endurable. There was even a mini version you can hang inside the mosquito net. They feel much more comfortable the desk fans. I wonder why they are not popular in the US?
Most people ITT are just hear to tell us how tough they are, facts and logic won't penetrate their dense craniums.
It's one thing to not own central air, but to not buy a simple window unit? They aren't that expensive and you just don't use it when it's not needed. Sure this doesn't happen a lot but being prepared makes more sense than being fucked when it does happen.
And one can argue this will start happening more often.
And one can argue this will start happening more often.
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