Air Conditioning

Starting from Africa, where the first humans originated, humans have spread out across the world to occupy almost every landmass. Even where conditions seem to be impossibly inhospitable, humans have managed to not only survive but also to thrive. Humans have adapted to their environment whether it is the frozen north or the hot deserts of the south. The success of humans is down to their ability to not only adapt to their surroundings, but also to change their environment.

We kinda mess up the environment everywhere we go….

Air conditioning may not be one of the first things that you think of when you consider this remarkable ability of humans, but nevertheless it has made living or travelling in some areas a lot more pleasant. Of course it is still true that many poor people cannot afford air conditioners or their electricity supply is too expensive or unreliable. However, as we have seen in Iraq where people are used to having their environment controlled the loss of that control can be the cause of much frustration and anger. Serious heat waves can also have devastating effects on the population if they have no means of cooling their environment. Elderly people are particularly vulnerable and in recent years heat waves in France and Greece have caused the deaths of a number of people. Heating your home is also important as old people can die of hypothermia if they are unable to maintain an adequate temperature.

Air conditioning in its broadest sense refers to any form of heating, ventilation or cooling that modifies the condition of the air. Most commonly air conditioning is used in buildings such as offices or homes to create an environment that is comfortable for the occupant. Air conditioners can be used for cooling buildings or heating them and generally they do this by using a refrigeration cycle, although some may use evaporation. In addition air conditioning can be installed in cars and even in the UK where temperatures rarely reach extreme levels it makes driving in a hot summer a much more pleasant experience.

We may think of air conditioning as a modern invention, but its origins are much older. It is believed that the ancient Romans used air conditioning. There is evidence that aqueducts were built to circulate water through the walls of houses thus cooling them. Similar techniques can also be observed in the archaeological remains of medieval Persia, where wind towers and cisterns were used to cool buildings during the hottest season. The first modern air conditioning unit was invented in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier.

Air conditioning is something that we now take for granted, but what would it be like if we didn’t have it? In the UK we rarely need air conditioning, although as anyone who has been stuck in a traffic-jam on the M25 during the hottest part of the day in a hot summer can testify it certainly makes life better!

My gosh, I’m so hot…..

In Australia around 45 percent of households own an air conditioner. Whether or not a household requires an air conditioner will depend on the climate, the weather and how well the house has been built. Most Australians live in the eastern, southern and south-western coastal areas. The centre is mainly desert and scrubland and it can be a hazardous place unless you follow the rules. Tourists who have been stranded when their cars broke down have died trying to walk to the nearest settlement for help. However, Australia is a wonderful place to visit with its unique history and fauna. Air conditioning also means that even people who are not used to the temperatures need not be worried about visiting even the hottest areas.

In America Death Valley attracts thousands of visitors each year. As its name suggests the first people to inhabit and traverse the area suffered many misfortunes and troubles. However, the area is also one of outstanding beauty with miles of pristine sand dunes, colourful rocks and canyons, a diverse range of wildlife and some unique salt evaporation features. The area is also home to many relics some dating from the time of the early settlers and some even earlier such as the foot trails and petroglyphs of the Shoshone Indians. The land slopes from an elevation of 1000 metres at its northern end to its lowest point at Badwater where it is 86 metres below sea level. This depression means that temperatures in the area can rise to over 130 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Not a place to visit unless you have an air-conditioned car to retreat to when the temperature soars.

You’d need it there

Dubai is located on the Arabian Peninsula on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. A city had existed there for at least 150 years prior to the creation of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s main revenues come from real estate, financial services and tourism. Originally much of its money came from oil, but that now contributes less than 6 percent. Dubai has in recent years had a construction boom and it is renown throughout the world for its ambitious real estate projects. However, anyone who has visited Dubai during the hottest part of the year can testify that visiting the air-conditioned modern areas of Dubai is a far more pleasant prospect than visiting the old part of town that lacks such modern amenities. Without air conditioning Dubai might not be quite so attractive to the rich and famous who buy up its real estate.

At the other end of the scale many scientists and tourists visit Antarctica. Antarctica is the last great wilderness and it is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. Scientists will live for months at the research stations carrying out important experiments and they and the army of people who help run the stations would not be able to last long without buildings in which the temperature is controlled to remain at a reasonable level.  The increasing number of tourists who visit the area are only allowed onshore rarely and never unescorted. This is partly because the area needs to be protected, but also because people who are unprepared for the environment would not survive for long.

And paradoxically here!

Humans don’t need air conditioning to survive, but our modern lives are made much more pleasant by it and a lack of it would certainly make some places on earth much less attractive.

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