Marie Lewis

In article <[email protected]>, j
<[email protected]> writes
    >when was the last time you heard of someone getting sick from Legionnaire's
    >Disease? or any air conditioning related bacteria?



It happened last year in Lancaster, in the UK.
--
Marie Lewis

Xor

"Gregory Morrow" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > XOR wrote:
    > > > And of course it's so much better to install massive energy consuming
    > > and costly air conditioning units than window screens.
    >
    >
    > Why not both? Here in the States is considered rather "white trash" not to
    > have window screens...
    >

Unfortunately, what is more often the case (at least in the US atm),
is that housing is built entirely for the existence of a/c. Tear down
shade bearing trees to put in huge houses. Space them in such a way so
that there is no airflow, use materials that only serve to make the
house *hotter* in the hottest heat rather than taking advantage of
window position, materials, etc.

I can appreciate the argument that a/c makes life more comfortable.
But I would like to see it - like most hugely energy consuming
appliances - used more sparingly.

But suggesting that a/c is a requirement because there are no window
screens (as your first post did) is like suggesting brain surgery when
you have a headache.


    > And modern a/c units are getting ever more effecient...using your reasoning
    > I guess we'd all be better off living in caves and using whale oil lamps.
    > Not real energy consuming or costly, that.....
    >

heh. Ever been to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky (or is it Tennesee?) in
the summer, or any other cave for that matter. It's amazing!

I lived in a house in the Midwestern US that was basically like a cave
    . No a/c. Was built by an environmental engineer...kind of a crazy
house, but it worked!

And there's a community in Turkey which regularly takes to caves in
the summer time...and I can't recall who or where, but know I read
this on bbc news during the current heat wave, there's some other
region in Europe where people are escaping to caves

But no, I am not advocating a complete toss of modern conveinences.
Rather, I am advocating the building of places which optimise the
natural conditions, and use non renewable resources only sparingly.

If Italians are not inclined to install a/c because they don't think
it's "vital" for survival, more power to them!

    >
    > > They're not even very efficient at filtering pollen and dirt.
    >
    >
    > If you have a decent filtering system they sure are.
    >

I don't know...I briefly stayed in a very new, top of the line house,
with supposedly the highest end heating and cooling system (I was
house sitting)...also had huge windows with no screens. grrr. I woke
the first few days with splitting headaches from nasal congestion.
After that I started turning off the a/c and opened some windows,
mosquitoes or no.... Perhaps the builders of this house were talking
out of their bottoms, but this was apparently a selling point.

    >
    > My
    > > asthma and allergies are much worse in air conditioned places. I get
    > > stuffed up, wake up with a scratchy aching throat.... very healthy.
    > >
    >
    >
    > Drop round your local chemist for some nostrums to help alleviate these
    > ailments....

Thanks but, like the brain surgery for a headache, I would prefer to
avoid taking something to alleviate the pain, and rather avoid the
problem to begin with. Prevention.

    >
    >
    > > Noise, I'll give you that. The only time I wish I had a/c is when the
    > > music is blaring on the street...
    >
    >
    > My street is fairly noisy and I have to have some "white noise" going year -
    > round in my bedroom (either a/c or a fan).

Unfortunately this is the case with my place in Thailand (not Texas,
tho I do have to deal with train noise). And my fan is rather
quiet...I'd prefer a noisier fan! Though nothing would drown out the
loudspeakers blaring at 5am (a 3-day funeral apparently). But we are
talking Italy afterall, and I was quite happy to be in Italy in the
summer with no a/c

Evelynvogtgamble

Gregory Morrow wrote:
    >
    > XOR wrote:

    > > And of course it's so much better to install massive energy consuming
    > > and costly air conditioning units than window screens.
    >
    > Why not both? Here in the States is considered rather "white trash" not to
    > have window screens...

Depends upon WHERE "in the States" - most apartment buildings in
Southern California (those with windows one can open) do not come
so-equipped, and one seldom notices the lack. The only time I ever even
SAW a mosquito in Los Angeles was many years ago when I lived around the
corner from a poorly maintained miniature golf course with a couple of
"water hazards" with stagnant water where they could breed. We do have
flies, of course - but they're only a nuisance if you're having food
outdoors. (If you maintain a reasonable level of hygiene you only get
the occasional stray, indoors.) Now ants, on the other hand.... but
screens do nothing to keep THEM out.

Gregory Morrow

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:

    > Gregory Morrow wrote:
    > >
    > > XOR wrote:
    > > > And of course it's so much better to install massive energy consuming
    > > > and costly air conditioning units than window screens.
    > >
    > > Why not both? Here in the States is considered rather "white trash" not
to
    > > have window screens...
    > Depends upon WHERE "in the States" - most apartment buildings in
    > Southern California (those with windows one can open) do not come
    > so-equipped, and one seldom notices the lack.


Well, in *Kentucky* they do ;o)

I once lived in a lovely older flat here in Chicago that had French windows
with no screens...it was very nice until "bug season" started. The condo
board installed removable screens (at some cost), and the English guy who
has one of my roommates and I were *constantly* fighting over whether to
leave the screens in (I for, he against)....

[we didn't have any a/c either...it was the most *stylish* place I've ever
lived, but also the most *uncomfortable* - because of the lack of window
screens and a/c]

Screen - free living in the Midwest is really not possible in the
summer...unless one likes various bugs diving into one's petite marmite,
massive swelling skeeter bites, etc....even had a *bat* flying through to
pay a visit several times! And I came home once to find a pesky squirrel
larking about the place (it had jumped in via a tree branch)!


The only time I ever even
    > SAW a mosquito in Los Angeles was many years ago when I lived around the
    > corner from a poorly maintained miniature golf course with a couple of
    > "water hazards" with stagnant water where they could breed.


Southern California is a paradise for us mosquito - haters! Here in
Illinois OTOH we are having real problems with mosquito - borne diseases
like West Nile Virus.....


We do have
    > flies, of course - but they're only a nuisance if you're having food
    > outdoors. (If you maintain a reasonable level of hygiene you only get
    > the occasional stray, indoors.) Now ants, on the other hand.... but
    > screens do nothing to keep THEM out.


Don't CATS help scare the ANTS away, Evelyn...???? ;---)

--
Best
Greg