Latest comments posted about Debate: can we turn off the air conditioning this summer? on ChinaDialogue en-gb http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2116-Debate-can-we-turn-off-the-air-conditioning-this-summer- http://staging.chinadialogue.net/images/cdlogo.gif http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2116-Debate-can-we-turn-off-the-air-conditioning-this-summer- I've been to Germany several times and I found that a lot of people don't have aircon at home. The reason is quite simple: they've been conscious about climate-change for about twenty years. But before that, they didn't have aircon either, even though their purchase power would have allowed it. I suppose that the most plausible reason for this is nature, Germany doesn't experience long hot summers and people can bear the conditions, there is no need to use the aircon. In fact, if you go to all the public places like good hotels, you will find that the temperature of the aircon is just the same as in China. I don't want to deny their environmental awareness, in fact, Germany provides many good examples for us to learn from. Wen Min. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:43:00 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-8991 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-8991 There are always number games, especially in China with its large population. Every family buying an energy saving lamp makes for can reduce the construction of the Three Gorges Dam by a third and can produce 8 billion green businesses. If every family can use energy-saving refrigerator, you can take out three dams of the Three Gorges project. And supposing every one can wear one more layer of clothes, how much electricity could be saved, how much coal… Since 2006, our country built power stations equal to another 5-6 Three Gorges Dams. This kind of analogy is endless. What does this mean? It means that this kind of lecturing is useless. Of course not using air conditioner is good, but you can't judge someone’s level of morality from this. Some people, like me, just don’t like air conditioning. As children, we had not access to it and we are unaccustomed to the cold blasts which make us feel a little strange. One of the indexes of civilization is raising the degree of comfort. By contrast, Chinese people are economical. We don’t usually use air conditioners unless we really have to (except in the north of China where people are supplied heating in winter). In Shanghai, the room temperature is about 3 to 6 degrees Celsius, but there are few people who use air conditioners. Westerners would find this intolerable. The definition of the degree of comfort in the US, (which is generally speaking the standard of the world), is 18 degrees or a little more. Below that, they need to heat the air. Above it, they need to cool it. Maybe it is not that accurate, but only an example. Once the air conditioner is on, the whole room is warm or cold, even the living room at midnight. We are in the habit of thriftiness, which maybe results from our culture or bitter days in the past. We can not pursue energy-saving and climate at the cost of our degree of comfort. In fact, we need both energy-saving and comfort. To some extent, we can reduce the physical parameters about comfort, after all different histories and cultures have brought about different habits of comfort. We should respect this difference. Furthermore, there is some thing wrong with Chinese buildings - the number one problem is the one of ventilation. In the north, heating provisions are compulsory. People have no choice. Too hot, ventilation is not obligatory, so all you can do is open windows for comfort at the cost of wasting energy. In the case of commercial buildings, our country doesn’t dare to forbid smoking indoors and ventilation becomes a bigger problem. Air conditioners don’t only change the temperature, they also tightly control the humidity and the amount of soot. It's a pity many residents and companies pay little attention to it. Numerous residents need to buy a humidifier. That is a typical example. This problem is too long to talk about, so I’ll just stop here. Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:48:33 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-8642 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-8642 I have recently written a dissertation on educating about environmental protection. I discovered many people's perception of the environment to be very weak nowadays . Every day, every minute, people are doing things to destroy the environment. Environmental problems are already extremely serious but people just don't understand. Okay, perhaps some people think they don't need to sacrifice their own conveniences. What's more serious is that enjoying comfort brings some feeble contributions, as for natural disasters, when disease breaks out, don't complain, don't cry..... I too used to think I had nothing to do with protecting the environment, but now it's dawned on me. I very rarely use my air-conditioner, even if the temperature in the Guangdong summer is 39 degrees. When I got used to it, I didn't think it was that uncomfortable. People have the ability to adjust themselves to suit the environment. This comment was translated by Kate Truax. Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:52:26 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7804 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7804 The situation is different in every single country and region. One cannot analyze any of the phenomenon or problem merely according to the statistical data. Science and technology should be people oriented. Some of the developed countries enjoy their luxurious environment, while their enjoyment costs the developing countries dear. The very living resources the rich countries have been enjoying come before the loss of green area in the poorer countries and their increasing emission of greenhouse gases. So we can not stop at the surface. Being an excellent invention itself, the air conditioner should be used at the right places and in the right way with the minimal wasteful usage. To use air conditioners reasonably is to use them free from waste and human harm. Who does not want to live in a pleasant climate free from air conditioners? (Translated by Zheng Shen) Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:27:35 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7643 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7643 It's very difficult to give up air conditioners, for we have been used to the pleasantness it brought. However, if we could strengthen the insulation of our rooms, energy still can be greatly economized. This comment was translated by Stacy Xu. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:38:52 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7620 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7620 I think the case of "extremely hot can cause death like in California" is very few. Most of the time, people are just so used to using AC, no matter if the weather is really unbearably hot. I have been in many freezling cold meeting rooms because of the use of AC even when it is not very hot ourside. This comment was translated by Janet Yu Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:55:49 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7585 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7585 There are different tolerance levels for heat; our family has never really used air conditioning, although it's been available. It helps if your house is shaded by mature deciduous trees during the heat of the day; do some of your work in the basement if you have one. Keep a spray mist bottle of water handy - they are cheap and produce the same effect. Turning on air conditioning is a huge drain on power. That being said, I know that many people live in extremely humid areas. Of course it helps if the temperature cools off at night... Librarian Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:22:03 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7582 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7582 I agree that we need to make big changes in stead of changes that are barely noticeable. But in some places, not using the AC in the summer can cause death (140 deaths related to the heat waves in California): (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072801648.html) I'm from California and I know a lot of us use AC without even thinking, and we could definitely limit use and still be safe. But I disagree with the idea that it's just mind over matter, and I disagree with the idea that we have to sacrifice even basic needs in order to save the planet. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:51:39 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7554 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7554 The fundamental solution you have suggested is very attractive, yet I am still on sis Haidi's side. I am not sure whether the western countries have adopted the advanced technologies as you have mentioned, at least in China it will take a very long period of time to promote these technologies. It is a long process for the astonishing unbalanced development of different regions. Shouldn't we do something before the new technologies really cover China? (Comment translated by Zhou Chen) Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:14:49 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7540 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7540 "If we can do this on 150million air conditioners in China, we can save 750 million kw every year and reduce 720,000 tons CO2". These are just for 3 minutes, how about 8 hours? Contrasting with these two sets of data, the saving is too minor to mention. The greenhouse gas from the earth is only very small part of that from the Milky Way Galaxy. Is the universe able to absorb the gas? Isn’t it possible? Comment translated by Chong Huang Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:41:22 +0000 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7537 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2116#comment-7537