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#Post#: 16722--------------------------------------------------
Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: MartinSR Date: June 10, 2019, 7:28 am
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[quote author=SHL link=topic=1144.msg16715#msg16715
date=1560138356]
[quote author=MartinSR link=topic=1144.msg16709#msg16709
date=1560118006]
...
And of course, the temperature in Poland (which has similar
weather to Germany) already happens to be over 30°C these days.
[/quote]
...
MartinSR. 30C is getting high, and you guys aren’t set up for
that with air conditioning, except in public places. So, that
must be hard to get used to. Where I am, we are expecting
temperatures at 40C tomorrow. Horrible. Even San Francisco is
supposed to be 30C tomorrow.
But, fortunately at home I can set the temperature at a nice
level, like 22 or something.
[/quote]
[quote author=Alharacas link=topic=1144.msg16718#msg16718
date=1560152857]
...
Steven, I can't really see airconditioning becoming all that
popular in private homes in Germany, increasing temperatures
notwithstanding. Germans are pretty thrifty people, so spending
money on electricity, just because of a little sunshine, is not
something many people would be prepared to do. Plus, don't
forget German houses are usually quite heavily insulated, and
what keeps in the warmth from the heating in winter is also
pretty useful for keeping out the summer heat.
[/quote]
I took these quotes from the low-fare airlines discussion. The
weather and airlines are connected to each other certainly, but
I decided to comment on the separate thread.
I'm not sure about the temperatures in Germany, but I think,
that at least the East part of the country is similar to Poland
in many ways (including the weather). Of course the territory
close to a sea must have more mild climate than the inland.
Our climate is called moderate, but by no means mild. The winter
temperatures are usually between -20C and +5C, and summer
between 15C and 35C. The conditions may change drastically
during a day or two.Imagine that you go for a holiday expecting
the warm and arid 25-30C and suddenly it starts to rain, the
temperatures go below 20C and it lasts for a week or two. During
the last two decades the temperatures were rather high and the
spring and autumn almost ceased to exist., e.g. you can see the
snow on the mountains and melting snow on highlands on the 1st
of May... and sunny 30C two weeks later.
What I am trying to say is that we are prepared to such
conditions... probably even better prepared than people living
in a relatively mild climate (warm or cold). Tourist from our
zone often feel better in warmer countries than the locals...
but tourists are strange creatures, I know. They must feel good,
because they have payed for it.
Since my country was always a few steps behind the West,
thinking of the air-condition at home, work or in the car, would
be called a whim only 20 years ago or so. Now when you are
buying the new car, you don't even have to ask for the AC,
because it's obvious. the air-conditioners appeared at working
places - especially those with an expensive electronic equipment
(you can't persuade a computer to work in a high temperature if
it fails, humans have more toleration when they are afraid of
losing their job). Having an air-conditioner at home is still a
luxury. During the last few years they made an insulation in
most of the blocks of flats - and the results are really
satisfactory.
Of course even now they try to lower the costs of building new
houses and blocks, what results in unnecessary overheating.
During the last weekend we've visited our son in Warsaw. His
flat is on the last floor of the building and the company
'forgot' to build a space with air-circulation possible between
the roof and the ceiling. The temperatures are really hard to
bear. Going outside is an relief, even in the midday, because
you can feel a subtle wind there. I haven't see any AC equipment
in the area he lives - the administration hasn't prohibited it
strictly, but made a few conditions... The equipment can't be
visible from outside of the building, and the water condensed
during its work, must be directed to the plumbing pipes
(situated on the other side of the flat).
#Post#: 16748--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: SHL Date: June 10, 2019, 6:34 pm
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I think you are right, MartinSR, in that people in just about
every region of the world have set up their homes and apartments
to accommodate the weather.
Like where I live, the weather is dry but can be extremely hot
in the Summers (like right now as I’m typing, outside it is 38C.
It’s just too hot to even go outside), but I set the air
conditioner to 21C for inside (I like it on the cooler side- I
can’t stand the heat). I have to convert from Fahrenheit to
Celsius constantly to get a feel for things (isn’t the US the
only country on earth to use Fahrenheit? More craziness). So,
the 38C is 100F. 21C is a very nice 70F. Whatever...
Anyway, where I live too, we can drive short distances (like
90km to San Francisco) and experience a 30F drop in temperatures
(like a 17C drop) because we have multiple climatic areas here.
It’s really variable.
Like in Europe, the older homes and apartments in San Francisco
may not have air conditioners, usually because they rarely would
need them. But, where I am? Having an air conditioner in the
house (central air conditioning so it goes through all the vents
in the house evenly) is like having a heater in a house where
you live. It’s just considered a basic necessity. It tended to
start in the 1950s, with older homes only having units in the
windows, then more modern places had central air conditioning as
standard and expected by the 1960s. Now, everyone has them. It
would be miserable not having it.
Now, my friend in Thüringen lives in an older farmhouse built in
something like 1780? I think her house is older than the US is
even a country.
Of course, it’s been renovated and modernized over the years,
but it has these huge thick walls of concrete or something which
provide really amazing insulation. So, it can be 30C outside,
but a nice 21 or so inside without air conditioning. I haven’t
visited in the Winter, but I’m sure it’s the same. They probably
heat the house up a bit and the heat just stays inside. It’s
just a great design and so well-built that you are really
protected from the heat and cold while inside. Again, it was
just an accommodation to the weather people prepared for even
way back then.
#Post#: 16758--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Truman Overby Date: June 11, 2019, 6:24 am
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Over the years I've read many articles about how Europeans scoff
at and shake their heads in disgust and derision at the
Americans for our use of air conditioning. They said it's a sign
of our weak character and our love of luxury. :-[
I grew up with no air conditioning in a state that regularly
experiences extremely hot and humid summers. It wasn't a lot of
fun to live that way or to try and sleep in those conditions.
And I worked outside 10-12 hours a day, six days a week. There
was no relief for months on end.
#Post#: 16759--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Nikola Date: June 11, 2019, 8:31 am
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I don't know about other European countries but here the
Communist Party used to say "we shall command the wind and the
rain". From that point of view, having air conditioning seemed
rather unnecessary.
#Post#: 16760--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Irena Date: June 11, 2019, 8:38 am
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[quote author=Beech 18 link=topic=1146.msg16758#msg16758
date=1560252268]
Over the years I've read many articles about how Europeans scoff
at and shake their heads in disgust and derision at the
Americans for our use of air conditioning. They said it's a sign
of our weak character and our love of luxury. :-[
[/quote]
Ah, yes. I remember it well. I had to avoid the university
library in the summer because it was freezing. Rumor has it that
some of the secretaries had space heaters in their offices
because it was so damn cold.
#Post#: 16762--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: SHL Date: June 11, 2019, 9:30 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Beech 18 link=topic=1146.msg16758#msg16758
date=1560252268]
Over the years I've read many articles about how Europeans scoff
at and shake their heads in disgust and derision at the
Americans for our use of air conditioning. They said it's a sign
of our weak character and our love of luxury. :-[
I grew up with no air conditioning in a state that regularly
experiences extremely hot and humid summers. It wasn't a lot of
fun to live that way or to try and sleep in those conditions.
And I worked outside 10-12 hours a day, six days a week. There
was no relief for months on end.
[/quote]
Weak character and love of luxury??? Jerry, are you sure you
haven’t been reading Chairmen Mao‘s Little Red Book? Remember
his „Little Red Book“? I don’t know what was in it. Maybe his
pearls of wisdom? You recall the joke, „Long march go better
with Coke.“ A great ad for Coca Cola. Europeans wouldn’t say
that ;)
But growing up in a hole like Indiana, my heart goes out to you.
The US has some of the worst weather in the world: Minnesota,
North and South Dakota are called „Siberia with family
restaurants.“ It must have been awful in the Indiana Summers
with that humidity. I can‘t imagine the misery.
I too recall the 60s with lots of fans and wall-unit air
conditioners. We didn‘t have air conditioning in a little house
we started with in 1965. That Summer it got so hot my mom went
out to our 1959 Cadillac and turned the engine on and then the
air conditioning just to be able to stand it. I remember sitting
in from of a big fan in the house for an hour as a kid after
playing outside in the Summer with my cousin.
I worked at age 17, in 1975, for some slave-driver running a
Fiat dealership in Fairfield, making $2.10 / hour. Minimum wage.
I had to spend the days working outside. What an experience.
Horrid. And I‘m a very light skinned person so I had to wear the
clothes to cover up to not get sunburned.
A lot of people don’t realize how awful US weather really is,
except along the West Coast, California to Washington, where is
it more like Europe, or I should say Europe used to be around
1980 and earlier before climate change.
#Post#: 16764--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Alharacas Date: June 11, 2019, 10:08 am
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Jerry, it depends on where people live. In Southern Spain, many
houses and apartments do have air condition. In Northern Spain,
what houses most need, in my opinion, is central heating and a
bit of insulation, as traditionally built houses with their
massive fieldstone walls are veritable fridges for most of the
year - I've seen people watching TV in their livingroom wearing
their winter coat, boots, fingerless gloves and a hat.
Friends of mine, who live on the top floor of an apartment
building in central Hamburg, did have air condition installed
last year.
Since the walls of my old house consist of a double layer of
bricks (like an inside and an outside wall), with air in
between, it takes ages until it becomes noticeably warmer
inside. Also, here in the country, nights are always quite cool,
so the heat never becomes really uncomfortable, even though I
sleep in the attic - I just open the windows at night.
I must admit, I don't like air condition much, it seems to make
my nose and my eyes itch, so I'd rather put up with a little
temperature-related discomfort instead. In summer in Southern
Spain, I used to take a shower right before going to bed, didn't
dry myself off, lay on top of the sheets and turned on the
ceiling fan - worked like a charm for going to sleep. If I woke
up during the night - rinse and repeat. ;)
But then again, I also lived on the top floor of an apartment
building in the center of a town, and it did get quite hot in
there.
Traditionally built Spanish houses in the south and the Canary
Islands usually have their windows angled away from the sun,
have a shadowy interior patio full of plants, and possibly with
some kind of water feature. Also, I was told they used to have
all kinds of other tricks, like soaking thick blinds made of
Esparto grass, and then shielding the windows with those.
#Post#: 16765--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Irena Date: June 11, 2019, 10:21 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The big problem with American housing is that it simply isn't
built for the climate. So, you have to spend huge amounts of
energy in order to keep it livable. True, this isn't only an
American problem, but it seems to be particularly bad in the
States.
I remember spending half the summer in Southern France a decade
and a bit ago. It got insanely hot outside (close to 40C), and
sure, it was hot indoors as well, but perfectly livable. I
didn't have AC, and I didn't even have a fan. That house was
obviously built for the local climate.
#Post#: 16766--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Chizuko hanji Date: June 11, 2019, 11:03 am
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Summer in Asia is quite different. Hot and humid. I remember how
different when I stayed in Australia. It was 40 degree outside
but it was not so hot under shade. I was surprised. It can't be
in Japan. If it's 40 degrees, the weather warning will be
announced that you have to stay in the house with AC on and
drink water not to have a heat stroke. Recent ten years, the
rising temperature is scary, some people die by a heat stroke.
Seriously.
In the countryside, you can sleep without AC, but in the cities,
sleeping without it, you gonna die.
I heard Indian, Tai, Indonesian can live without AC. Because
they have their strong constitutions against heat. I think it
will take 100 years more for the Japanese to have such strong
bodies. We have a long history as a small island at the edge of
Asia, but not as a part of the subtropical area, even though the
recent climate seems like shifting to it. Japanese are not ready
for that.
#Post#: 16767--------------------------------------------------
Re: Let's talk about... the weather ;)
By: Truman Overby Date: June 11, 2019, 1:28 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Irena link=topic=1146.msg16765#msg16765
date=1560266485]
The big problem with American housing is that it simply isn't
built for the climate.
I remember spending half the summer in Southern France a decade
and a bit ago. It got insanely hot outside (close to 40C), and
sure, it was hot indoors as well, but perfectly livable. I
didn't have AC, and I didn't even have a fan. That house was
obviously built for the local climate.
[/quote]
You're quite right. But do you know why most houses here aren't
built with better insulation and with better site planning?
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