Methinks They Doth Protest Too Much…my a/c and me
by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC
I’ve seemed to have caused a stir in this area regarding my Summer with less A/C. That’s right - not zero A/C, just less. It started as some readers know, as a way to “offset” a friend’s flight to Paris for his honeymoon in June. And yes, I went all of June without turning on A/C. This never felt particularly heroic to me - June still provides cool nights here in the somewhat South and I have a shady yard to spend time in. I’m betting there were many other people keeping windows open that month.
July quickly turned hotter and although I rationed my hours of A/C use, I ended up significantly over my original goal of 8 hours per week. We’re having 100 degree temps. right now for August, so I’m closed up with shades drawn. I’ve had the A/C turned on every night so far, though I’ve still been able to get through most of the day without it. With the thermostat set on 85, it usually comes on around 4 or 5pm. Still, under the ceiling fans, 85 degrees is kind of nice - that much I learned.
I’ve told and retold the story as above, yet my supposed valiant effort to help save the planet has been escalated to unreasonable proportions. In the last week, it’s been written up in the city newspaper and yesterday I was called in for an interview for NPR’s “The Story” (broadcasting Friday, 8/10). Today, our local TV news station sent a camera to my house.
I’m starting to feel awkward about all this attention. The questions continually posed at me seem aimed at some dramatic consequence, as if I set out across the Sahara. No matter how many times I tell them how easy this has been, they want to hear about the blood, sweat and tears. In reality, I’ve suffered very little and gained a lot by challenging the status quo of “comfort”. This wasn’t a radical action in any sense, nor just a temporary experiment. This is simply me learning and growing and doing my best to be comfortable yet be conscious of my actions and their effects on nature. It’s also me protecting my future - not an entirely selfless act.
Yes, I do want people to look at A/C as a privilege and not a right. After all, I hesitate to consider how many people are enduring this heat wave in NC without that choice of whether to flip the switch. But I want it to represent much more than that. I want people to live every day with awareness of how much energy and other natural resources they consume and how much it costs the environment. I want everyone to gain perspective on what we perceive as absolutely necessary in our lives - not just to cut carbon emissions and save energy, but to relearn what it means to live with nature rather than against it and possibly, remember a way of life where we worked with our hands and, yep, our blood, tears - and sweat.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Hi Trace,
I’ll be listening for you in just a bit! I think however, your story is compelling to people because you do make it seem quite easy and can inspire others to take action too (the point of this blog eh?) Course the dramatic ’she is doing this in 100+ degree heat’ angle does enhance the story.
You all are lucky to be in a community where the homes take into consideration the environment, like homes did years ago. Remember ‘breezways’ in homes? Main halls with a door at both ends to bring a breeze through in the summer? My little house we fondly call the ‘anti solar’ home, oriented completely the wrong way for maximum efficiency, but simply pulling down the shades drops the temp immediately.
A close friend of mine works with HVAC systems and is on call this week. It is amazing what people consider an ‘emergency’ at 10 at night or 2 in the morning. “My upstairs system won’t cool” (but they have two), “It won’t go below 75″ (like that is unbearably suffocating), “My ceiling is falling in” well that was an emergency (the condensation of water should drain, preferably to water something, not your ceiling).
So many newer homes are built so they have to have AC. Small windows, no shade, or huge homes that suck up energy no matter what. Not to mention the hospitals, assisted living places where you can’t open windows and would practically suffocate without AC of some sort.
I’ll quit rambling now.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Wow.
My hope is that when people hear your story, they make it a point to learn the truth that this archaeological era will be known as the most destructive in way of natural resource consumption, waste production, and pollution. The reality is there are lot of things that we are doing that’s bad for us i.e. our oil usage (which includes everything from the cars that we drive to the energy requirements we have to satisfy our swanky lives), and our senseless waste production (which includes pretty much everything harmful like fast food wrappers, used electronics, paper towels, and a gillion other products we consume without making consideration for its end use and life cycle ). The stuff that we’re creating is polluting our streams and oceans where we like to fish, our forests and back country where we like to camp, hike and hunt, and the list goes on.
Learn the facts about how easy it is to make small changes that will go a long way towards preserving our planet as if such of thing were of some sort of importance!
August 10th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
And another thing.
Methinks they doth protest not damn enough. Keep up the good work.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
I happened to catch the tail end of the tv news coverage of you and your home the other day, that you were doing without A/C and using fans, shade, etc. My family and I have been doing the same this summer, tho’ for different reasons. Last summer our poorly performing A/C, heat pump condenser stopped working, and we decided not to fix it. This winter we used a wood burning stove and a Kerosene heater to warm our home and it was the best winter we’d had in a while( as far as being warm). There is an appreciation that goes along with something that doesn’t come so easily, like keeping warm or cool as the case may be. I think most folks take for granted something that until very recently was not even available; flicking a switch for instant warmth or coolness.If I am not perfectly comfortable in my abode I think this is bad, and I start to complain how difficult life is. But when I am living along with the way things are (hot or cold), and the weather changes and it’s now a bit warmer or a bit cooler, I really appreciate the change, I appreciate this very real part of life on Earth because it feels good and I’m thankful for the cool summer breeze or the warm spring day.I’m glad you caused a bit of a stir!
Don
August 13th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Thank you all for picking up where I left off - I always knew there were many others out there walking the walk and learning and THINKING during the process. And, this is STILL WHY I write this blog, so that we can all talk about it, share ideas and support each other. Thank you, Mary, for the reminder that we CAN live with nature if we keep it in mind as we design and build what we need. And I’m happy and humbled to hear from you, Don. Namaste to your family - I’ll send the next media crew to your place! Seriously, you’re so right, our supposed sacrifices allow us to stay connected to the seasons and provides the opportunity to enjoy all the little things that much more.
Ben is right, we are reluctant to see the truth of our “swanky lives”. Seeing the truth of what is happening to the planet can be difficult, but there is so much silver lining. Some of it involves simply THIS - coming together in creative purpose. Other things will continue to show up as we learn the joys of more simple, less-consuming lives that allow us to live with more authenticity, integrity, peace and joy.
Changingly Yours,
Tao