Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat

Subject: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 11:45 AM

In this day and age, if you have an air conditioner in your home, the environmental answer to a heat wave is NOT to crank it down as low as it will go and refrigerate the house. The trick is to find the warmest temperature you can tolerate and keep it there, so you're not exposing yourself to a huge temperature shift from inside to outside.

Many homes in cooler climates don't have air conditioners. That is how I grew up, with a well-insulated house meant for cooler weather, not hot. Stay downstairs, move sleeping arrangements to the ground floor, and use box or oscillating fans to keep the air moving. Cover the windows in such a way to put up shade outside each window or patio door to keep the sun from beating into the house. The solar gain is wicked if you don't cover big areas of glass. Cross ventilation is good, if you can get it from a shady porch into the house.

A meteorologist here in Texas used to promote putting a sprinkler on the roof and running it at midday so the evaporative effect of the water would keep the attic and inside cooler. It does work but does involve figuring out how to get the sprinkler to stay put when the weight of the hose is bound to pull it back off the roof again. Do that trick advisedly, and only if you have ample water and water pressure.

If you can find such a thing as a mesh tarp, that lets about 40 to 50% of the light through, and put it up over your patio or exposed windows, this will let in enough light but mostly keep out a lot of the heat.

If you have an air conditioner you'll be using a lot of power, something that can be in short supply during hot periods. While you're suffering through the heat, remember that you need to tolerate as much of it as possible. In US measurements, I tend to keep the house at about 80 degrees when it's 100 or more outside. Before I go to bed I lower the thermostat to 78 to cool it a little more, then set it up to 82 when I retire. This way it's cool enough to get to sleep and I don't usually awaken as the house gets slowly warmer and at night the house doesn't warm up as fast. If you have air conditioning set too cool, the blowing from vents may wake you. A friend of mine uses the approach to cool the house as much as possible before going to bed, then turning off the AC, hoping the cool air will be enough overnight.

Small fans and spray bottles to dampen your skin or clothing to allow evaporative cooling is very effective. Fill several pots and containers with water in case pipes burst during the heat, so you can stay hydrated.

If you're in an area affected by more than just heat, such as a wildfire area, assemble things that can go quickly if you evacuate. I have a plastic hanging file box that has the most current household paperwork and bills along with banking information and such that can be put in the car along with clothes, water, electronics that can be easily transported (phone and charger, laptop and charger, and think about taking along the desktop CPU and leaving the rest on the desk. If the house burns down, what is in the computer can be used once you attach it to new monitors, printers, scanners, etc. Have clothing, medicines, pet food and pet gear ready to go, all in the car, if you evacuate.

If you're suffering, so is the wildlife. Clean any bird baths and keep them filled daily. If you do this every day you won't have a mosquito problem; they need 5 days for larva to become mosquitoes. Put plant saucers (for under pots) on the ground and keep them filled for birds, lizards, honeybees, and more. You'll find an interesting array of creatures willing to share your water if you situate yourself so you can see these water sources.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 11:52 AM

Air conditioner???? I don't even have an electric fan! I think after the zoom singaround tonight I might sleep on the sofa in my East facing living room.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 11:56 AM

Last time I stayed at my Mom's house in Seattle (with no AC and the upstairs bedroom windows nailed closed for some insane reason) we did the "move the sleeping arrangements to the ground floor" thing and laid out mattresses for the four of us in Mom's office near the back door. This was during a 90^o heat wave in Seattle, something we could manage in Texas, but not in a hot upstairs in Seattle with no moving air at night.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 12:23 PM

Basements not in a flood zone or living low with roofs you can garden or mow are cool. In most places 30 feet down is a steady 55 degrees. Sorry TX and OK, you guys can't dig basements.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 12:57 PM

We haven't got an air conditioner and we don't know anyone who has one. Our two downstairs rooms both have large south-facing windows, BUT the very high summer sun doesn't get the whole room as it does in spring and autumn, just the back of the sofa! In addition, our walls are two feet thick, solid stone, so they take so long to heat through that we don't have a problem in short heatwaves. We're not used to the kind of humid heat we've had today, so we've stayed indoors today with the doors and windows closed (to keep the hot air out). Nothing strenuous has been done. I'm a bit of a sunshine-nut, but not today. Later on I'll be cooking (minimally) outdoors, just hot dogs preceded by that lovely, thick, cold Andalusian soup salmorejo that I stirred myself to make this afternoon, and I might just pour us an aperol spritz...

I'm just off to cold-hose my head down...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 01:05 PM

We're on a water meter, so every drop is recorded and has to be paid for. I too do not know anyone with an air conditioner here.
In my many travels alone in West Africa, I always turned off the air conditioner in the hotel rooms in which I stayed. If you keep it on, your body never acclimatises to the higher temperature outside, so when you leave the hotel to explore a city, the heat hits you like a bomb!
In a little bed-and-breakfast type of place in Senegal, I foolishly put out a bowl of water for the little lizards and wild birds I saw in the area around the building. (The drought that year had been horrendous). The owner rushed out to berate me - she said that every snake in Abene would be heading for the compound to get at the water, and many of them are venomous. She was right - I saw many snakes while there.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 05:30 PM

We have 2 air conditioning units in our single storey office, one old set to 24C and the newer one in the room where I work set to recommended 21C. So temperature inside was cool and pleasant to work in. Outside was a furnace at 36-37C and expected to be higher tomorrow.

At home we have 2 fans running downstairs for Mrs Bonzo and greyhound with a cooler and fan running upstairs for me at my PC.

A cold bath calleth!!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 05:56 PM

When I lived without air-conditioning (from birth to 2013), I always closed curtains and windows during the day and opened up at night. (All properly kept Canadian homes have fly screens, and this is why.) An electric fan oriented to blow across the bed makes the steamiest night tolerable.

Showers were taken at night just before going to bed, and one never towelled oneself completely dry. While still damp, sprawl on the bed in the breeze from the fan … Aaaah!

Old houses are easier to live in without air-conditioning as they are designed for cross-ventilation. Modern (post-2000) houses — not so much.

Most important, dress suitably for hot weather, in loose cotton clothes you can sweat through without regret. Jeans are usually both too snug and too heavy, contributing to heat rash in the crotch and around the waist.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 07:20 PM

There's another thread about it, but this time of year the shower on the back patio is attached to the garden hose and is wonderful after dark. It's a simple multi-spray head with a hose that is normally put in the bathtub, but I attached it to one of the uprights holding up the patio cover. It's private back there and all you need is a place to hang your bathrobe and your towel. A friend of mine has a short fence built around his backyard shower and he has towel hooks on the outside of that fence; mine is near the patio door and there is a swinging iron security gate that serves well to hang up the towel. This can be that shower right before bed that Charmion mentioned.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 08:37 PM

Gosh, I just strip off (down, girls...) and turn the hose on myself. No towels, no bathrobes (I haven't got any of those). Three or four sheets of Waitrose extra-strong kitchen towels and a few minutes' air-drying will do me. Mind you, I haven't got any neighbours...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 08:44 PM

Steve, I can just see myself pulling that stunt in lovely, leafy Stratford.

First, the mozzies would take great hunks out of me before I could even get the hose aimed. Then the neighbours would start selling tickets.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: JennieG
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 10:06 PM

An old Ozzie trick is to thoroughly wet a sheet, wring it out (not too much though; you don't want it to dry too quickly) and hang it in front of a fan, a cheap but effective way of evaporative cooling.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 02:28 AM

With double glazing, narrow type facing North & new 1 inch facing South, my house is cooler than the air outside at midday. Mind you I do open doors & windows for the cool night air to circulate, then close up before outside gets hotter.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 03:01 AM

I've just read an email from my sister up in Scotland. She hates hot weather (unlike me) and every Monday she gives online bridge lessons and plays tournament bridge using a webcam (is that the word?). Well, she told me she's found a good way to keep cool while doing this, seated at her Kitchen table ; she thoroughly wetted a large pair of her cotton knickers under the tap and put them on her head! I shook with laughter when I read that - I wonder what all the other bridge fans thought when they saw her appear on their screens with knickers on her head!
My poor window cleaners are due to arrive today, but if they've any sense they'll wait a few days until it's cooler. But I've got the icy-cold cans of Diet Coke ready for them if they do show up.
Can you believe that I always sleep under a 15 Tog goosedown duvet, even in this hot weather? I reckon it keeps the heat OUT, and I sleep like a log. You can tell that both my sister and myself are rather ... er... eccentric! It must be because we're half-Irish!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 03:13 AM

Our air-source heating is designed to work in reverse as well so we could theoretically have cool floors. Not tried it yet as I suspect that it might use quite a bit of power.
It does suggest that as more housing turns over to this form of heating that there will be a growing percentage of UK houses with this sort of cooling.

Robin

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:07 AM

Ah I see Dave! It's 'Lets Pick A Fight With Sen Day' today! hee hee.
Actually, (digs hole deeper) my mother was one of EIGHT, and all my Irish uncles and aunts were hilariously 'eccentric'. They used to quote funny verses and songs spontaneously, and do daft, endearing things a lot of the time.
To get back to the thread title though, my mother could take any amount of heat thrown at her. Like me, she adored hot weather. Now her name 'Duffy' means 'black' in Erse, and there's a theory that many of the Duffy clan have African genes in them, from African slaves unloaded at the port of Cork, some of whom ran off and mixed with the native population. Now if true, that would make me ecstatic. I tan easily and like my mum have black hair ( a bit grey in parts now). One day, I might do one of those DNA tests to verify this. This could explain why the heat never ever bothers me, just like my African husband.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:28 AM

Fortunately we’re in Northumberland for the week - 28C yesterday, 29C predicted today. We took a two-hour sea-trip out to the Farne Islands yesterday morning for the puffins and other sea-birds, seals, and the Longstone Lighthouse (Grace Darling’s old gaff) and it was deliciously cool aboard. The afternoon was spent relaxing in the shade in the beautiful garden of our rented cottage, with cool non-alcoholic drinks to hand. This afternoon is planned similarly, following a very nice brunch at the local cafe.

It’s a tough job, but… :-)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:32 AM

29.9 outside on my West facing window and it is only 9:30 am. 1.5 degrees hotter inside my flat than it was yesterday. Not looking forward to this afternoon.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:57 AM

it is not ok to say polish people are eccentric or african people are eccentric, it is a sterotyping and a racist comment even if it was not intentional

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 05:40 AM

I grew up in Sydney's western suburbs, about 20 km to the west of where I am now, close to the Harbour & much hotter than the coast. We all had small fans in our rooms.

I remember Dad laying on the bathroom floor reading with a fan blowing on him! It was the coolest room in the house, but only a bath long & a bath & a half wide! Perhaps someone else could have sat/lay in the bath ...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stanron
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 07:01 AM

"she thoroughly wetted a large pair of her cotton knickers under the tap and put them on her head!"

I'm doing much the same right now with a large paper towel. It possibly helps being nearly bald. Inside it's 28.4 C and outside it's supposed to be about 34. I'll do the wet shirt thing later.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 08:37 AM

We have all enjoyed a hot lunch in our beautiful air conditioned office, with brutal heat outside - now 38C!

Amazon delivered a new fan at home, which once I'd got my head around fixing it together, was very efficent indeed. I can't understand mean people who have just one fan - you need at least 4 this weather.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 08:51 AM

It's possibly worth reflecting on the fact that the energy-guzzling use of air conditioning is one of the main contributors to global heating. A solution that's a big part of the problem.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 09:48 AM

Sorry for the glitchy read above, but the picking-of-fights when everyone is miserable from the heat is not needed or wanted and is deleted.

Every day we're creeping up a degree hotter this week, though the forecast suggests we'll cool by several degrees, from 111 today to about 101 by end of the week. Any kind of cooling is welcome, but we're counting the days till autumn.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 10:16 AM

Aw, c’mon, Steve! You could say the same about space-heating in winter.

Wherever they live, humans eventually stop trying to adapt themselves to their environments and start adapting their environments to themselves. It’s how we roll as a species.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: pattyClink
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 10:41 AM

Senoufou, the wet undies on the head has the advantage of giving your friends a laugh, lots to be said for that. But I have seen lots of guys working outdoors in the US South who will roll up a small wet towel and keep it around their neck while working. It does help with lowering the body temperature, which of course is very important when heat gets to the danger point.

Best wishes to everyone suffering, and remember to check on neighbors who need it.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 11:22 AM

When I work outside in hot weather I always put a bandana over my head then hold it in place with a ball cap, so it hangs down and shades my neck and the sides of my face. Using a squirt bottle, or if desperate, the hose, to dampen it does wonders for staying cool.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 12:03 PM

Should you have some time to waste, take a look at a 40-year-old movie called "Platoon" -- very popular in its time, but not a particularly edifying bit of filmed fiction.

It does have one thing in its favour, however: the producers evidently consulted a genuine Nam veteran who told them how soldiers of that time adapted to the jungle heat. All the actors playing grunts wear olive-drab towels under their helmets, with the ends hanging down to screen their necks and faces.

Nowadays, soldiers (from First World armies) in hot countries carry Camelbak water packs. "Piss white, yer all right", said my dear old sergeant. Add that weight to the body armour and the ammo load ... My knees hurt just thinking about it.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 03:19 PM

Of course, Charmion. But aircon is now a luxury that didn't exist a few decades ago, mostly in "advanced" countries only. And it does do the environmental damage I mentioned. Inconvenient but true.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 03:39 PM

I do not need air conditioning, a traditional stone house like mine is cool in the summer

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:02 PM

Do you know something Steve Shaw, those of us aged 75 who still work are very glad of air conditioning to be comfortable. Alleged "damage to the environment" is for nutters to waste their time pontificating about!!!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:18 PM

When I was a kid in Kansas in the 50s, all we had was a 'water cooler'. It was a metal box with a mesh screen inside where a layer of shredded wood they called 'excelsior' was wrapped. At the top of the unit was a trough where a garden hose was attached and turned to just a trickle. A squirrel cage fan blew slightly cooled, moist air into the house. However, it was only really helpful when you stood reasonably close it it. I remember going with my father to buy a new mat after a couple of years.

Our old 37 Chevvy had a similar gadget that hung on the car window. You'd regularly stop and add some water to the reservoir.

(I have tried a commercial version of the dampened neck wrap. It actually helps.)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:29 PM

We're into our first official heat wave of the Summer.. defined as 4 days of 90F in a row. It's expected to last another week. It may make an actual 100F tomorrow.

In the 1950s, I delivered newspapers in 100+ weather a few times.. And in about 1952, it was about 102 when my Mom & I got on a train to go visit her brother in San Diego. We spent a week there in balmy 75º weather... then got back on the train and stepped off in Wichita to 104º!! Yeah, we had some hot Summers, but I never read about this widespread heat all over the world.

   Nervous? Yup...

Subject: RE: Tips from DC for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:39 PM

Upstairs is pleasant but
I'm under the covers with a heating pad on my ankle since the air conditioning sinks to the next to lower level and the adjacent utility room has exposed frigid vents throughout. No Mc Mansion here, the ceilings are only 8 feet high. Icy expanses of the GOT is on the tv. Its a kind of suffering but I'm going to heat up some left over hot sausage and pasta.
I blame RAP for suggesting this LENNOX cooling system. Brrr

Remember last year the artic circle was over 100 F?













i

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 04:39 PM

Someone - possibly a woman I used to work with who volunteered at a local Scout group - told me about these cooling neck scarves:

Cool Scarf

"The N-rit Cool Scarf neck cooler rapidly lowers body temperature
Stays cool and does not require refrigeration. How to use: Soak your handy kooler in cool or cold water for about 30 minutes or until the crystals have expanded."

I'm not sure what the crystals are. They are described as "crystal polymer cooling technology", whatever that is.

In Oz we are very aware of not doing heavy physical activity during heat waves. When I first visited the lovely town of Broken Hill in Central Australia on an extremely hot summer day, my friend and I were walking around the shopping area at midday and when we went into the shops the shop attendants were emerging from their back rooms looking a bit sleepy.

We found out that the canny locals tend to have siestas in the middle of the day and it was only the crazy tourists, e.g. us, who were silly enough to think that life goes on as normal at the hottest part of the day. If you can, save your physical activity for a cooler part of the day, or better still when the heatwave is over.

Even the workers in Australia are told to stop working in extreme heatwaves and any day with temperatures over 37 deg Celsius is considered too hot to work according to Occupational Health & Safety standards.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 05:05 PM

Inside at work regulated to 21C, outside 39C!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 06:09 PM

So you're a climate change denier, Bonzo. As long as we know.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 06:12 PM

Whatevaaaaar!!!!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 07:42 PM

The refrigerant used in newer air conditioners is much less harmful to the environment than the old Freon units. Here I'm in an all electric house and I buy my power from a wind power company. I try to keep it as warm as possible - what I can stand - to avoid the shock of indoors to outdoors transitions. Usually around 80^o. It hit 112^o outside today.

Bill, you were describing what in Arizona they call a swamp cooler, and it works in dry climates because it creates the humidity to help cool down with. I had one of those on a manufactured house in park housing when I lived down at the US/Mexico border. Sometimes those mats catch fire. :-/

I can't believe the deck company that is refinishing the concrete patio at the house next door continued to work yesterday and today. I'd be afraid of heat injuries. If it was my patio I would have postponed the work till cooler weather.

The experience people have of the heat is relative to what they're used to. Accusing people of being hard on the environment when they're trying to save their lives (and a lot of people will not survive these heat events) is pointless. We need to do what we can as we go forward, but need to survive right now.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 07:50 PM

The Guardian, 26 Aug. 2019:

Buying an air conditioner is perhaps the most popular individual response to climate change, and air conditioners are almost uniquely power-hungry appliances: a small unit cooling a single room, on average, consumes more power than running four fridges, while a central unit cooling an average house uses more power than 15. “Last year in Beijing, during a heatwave, 50% of the power capacity was going to air conditioning,” says John Dulac, an analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA). “These are ‘oh shit’ moments.”

There are just over 1bn single-room air conditioning units in the world right now – about one for every seven people on earth. Numerous reports have projected that by 2050 there are likely to be more than 4.5bn, making them as ubiquitous as the mobile phone is today. The US already uses as much electricity for air conditioning each year as the UK uses in total. The IEA projects that as the rest of the world reaches similar levels, air conditioning will use about 13% of all electricity worldwide, and produce 2bn tonnes of CO2 a year – about the same amount as India, the world’s third-largest emitter, produces today.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 07:56 PM

It's not the refrigerant, Maggie, important though that is. It's the amount of electricity that the thing uses.

If there's one issue in rich western countries that leads to uncomfortable buttock-shuffling denial, it's aircon in buildings...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 08:29 PM

And my power comes from a wind farm.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 08:49 PM

Perhaps that precious wind farm energy could've been put to more virtuous use...

It's a tough one, innit...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 09:56 PM

Better use than protecting lives. You think about it. What would you put above that on the list? It's 44.5 C out there today.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 11:22 PM

We have a split system air conditioner. We can just put it on for the two rooms we are using rather than the whole house. Our house is extremely well insulated so we only need to put the air con on for a short time e.g. 30 minutes, and then turn it off when the required temperature is reached. It stays fairly well within the comfortable range for some hours, usually. Later in the day we might put it on again and then turn it off. If ours was powered by solar or wind energy, even better but the changeover to alternative power is on our budget list for the very near future.

We are lucky we have a well-insulated house. It would not be appropriate for us to cast aspersions on other people who are not so lucky, especially in an emergency, a health-threatening or life-or-death situation.

I'm with Maggie. This heatwave has been declared as an emergency. Lives and health are very much at stake. Common sense has to prevail during emergency situations. Those stats on how much power air conditioners use are possibly/probably based on them being on for at least 12 hours per day, and also have to take into account lots of very large buildings like my previous workplace and not just individual dwelling places.

Yes, climate action is a top priority but lives and health in an emergency must be protected.

And countries where heatwaves are not common has the increased risk of people not knowing which precautions to take, and possibly underestimating the gravity of the situation, taking unnecessary risks and putting their health and/or their lives in danger.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 22 - 11:31 PM

In Texas the ERCOT folks asked the Crypto miners to turn off their power-hungry systems. It saved 1% at the time they turned off - not a lot, but it made a difference for the area around Houston.

I have one unit out, and one working here, and a portable one in my office that is on only when I'm in the office. (I have to finance putting in the new unit that will be more more efficient than the dead 20-year-old heat pump that was state of the art in its day).

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 01:01 AM

I remember clearly the day that I was driving along the main street of a nearby suburb in an extreme heatwave. The traffic wasn't very heavy on the four lane road but it was consistent and moving fairly steadily. Suddenly a man walked straight off the footpath on a diagonal path across the road, totally oblivious of the traffic coming both ways. It was just sheer luck which stopped him from being run over by one or more cars.

He appeared to be in a world of his own, he was extremely red in the face, and looked like he was not in the best of health. I suspect that he had been out in the heat, not drunk enough water, and put himself in danger of a serious health crisis. He was heading towards a shady park so I hope that he found somewhere out of the heat but I lost sight of him, so I don't know if he was all right.

So drink lots of water, keep hydrated and keep safe.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 01:41 AM

I can't imagine what had brought on Steve Shaw's bout of sanctimoneous save the worldery??

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 02:54 AM

Charmion " humans eventually stop trying to adapt themselves to their environments and start adapting their environments to themselves. It’s how we roll as a species. "

Yea, and it is how we fall over as a species. But good news, the planet will survive without us. For at least 1 billion years ish.

When politicians can't stand the heat, then something will be done. Probably too late.
For how politicians deal with pollution consider the Great Stink - UK parliament had to put disinfectant soaked rags /curtains at the windows to combat the smell of the Thames.
THEN they gave Joseph Bazeljet pretty much a free hand to design Lundun's sewers. He over-designed them. He knew human and political nature. They carried our 21^st C effluent effortlessly until very recently.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 03:25 AM

Do you really think that trying to save the planet is sanctimonious Bonzo?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 03:26 AM

Much cooler this morning, here on the Northumberland coast. A nice easterly coming in off the North Sea, bringing a fresher, less muggy, feel.

We’ll be home in The Backwoods at the weekend, where it looks as though it might warm up again - yippee! ;-)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 04:04 AM

I can scarcely imagine what's going on down there. Although I do remember heat waves in southern Michigan when I lived there for a couple of summers in my youth. I recall cool-water showers- and having my back perspiring at the same time. And lying in bed with a half-inch of sweat outlining my body.

For the past almost 35 years I have lived in southeastern Alaska where we think it's HOT if the temperature soars over 75 degrees.

We're in a cool spell right now- last week we hit 80 several times. Today's high was 57 degrees and right now at midnight it's 53.

So I guess Alaska's beating-the-heat tip would be: Head north. Live next to an ocean-the Pacific is right across the street from me.

sheesh. I know this post is insufferable. Seriously, I do feel anxious for you.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 05:45 AM

Well, Ebbie, I hope you take pity on us poor East Coast Aussies because we have been suffering through a cold spell for the last few weeks. Some mornings here it has been around 10 deg C (50 deg F) with a chill factor of around 5 deg C. That's chilly, for us. The problem is that our cold spells usually only amount to a few days in winter but this year it has been a few weeks. We're not used to it.

LOL

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 06:36 AM

"Do you really think that trying to save the planet is sanctimonious Bonzo?"

Going on and on about it IS, but then Steve Shaw has nothing to do, I am very busy helping clients to pay the minimum amount of tax!!!!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 07:24 AM

One way to strengthen your immune system
Mr. Red, is to take a cool swim in the Thames.


London will live longer than Paris.
The London sewer system is stronger
compared to the patchwork quilt of the
foundation of the Paris sewer on a tilt.
Some of the Parisian underground collapse
will allow much of Paris to fall in a crack

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 07:52 AM

I am reminded of a presient episode of the Twillight Zone when a gravitational anomally from a possible wandering neutron star throws the Earth closer to the Sun. An oil painter who did not evacuate her urban apartment building is left behind and watches her paintings melt, fires rage and water disappear.

In reality she is in a fevered nightmare and is dying of infection while Earth is thrown away from the Sun to freeze in a farther orbit.

Our reality is worse, we did it to ourselves.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 10:01 AM

The Twilight Zone episode with Lois Nettleton. That was particularly prescient.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 10:41 AM

helping clients to payless tax, that means less money for the government to spend on maintaining the NHS, WHICH means in extreme hot weather the elderly who might need medical attention have to wait longer ,

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 10:58 AM

Dick, stay on topic. This thread is about how to stay cool.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 01:01 PM

It is now a cool 18 and drizzling here in Airdale.

Good old British weather. If you don't like it, hang around long enough and it will change :-)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 02:41 PM

16C here in the North East, a chilly breeze but no rain. Same threatened for tomorrow and Friday.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 02:43 PM

So far it's only 104^o, but the day is only half over.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a high of around 101. An improvement.

My electric bill is projected in a weekly email, and this month it will be about 4x the spring rate and about double the "normal" summer rate.

I've propped bricks in and beside tanks of water (a kiddie pool and a stock tank) in the back yard, watching to see if wildlife go near it. They are leery of the dogs, and I'm not lugging these things off to the sides, so no saying if they'll get much use. The bird baths in the front have been host to some pretty bedraggled looking robins lately.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: robomatic
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 02:58 PM

In Anchorage we had some of the warmest weather on record, and very dry conditions. Good weather for hiking but at 70 def F (21 deg C) quite warm for most of us particularly the dogs. Dogs can't sweat, the dog I walk begins to pant really fast for a real long time.

For dogs you can get a 'cool coat' a wrap around that you can keep wet or my friends keep in the fridge.

Humidity can be a killer, 'cause the human body plan to sweat doesn't work so well when perspiration can't do its thing.

Anchorage used to be bone dry and you rarely had cause to sweat anyway, but in this warmer weather there has been a bit of uncharacteristic moisture in the air. Meanwhile over the past week we've had lower temps and above average rain.

SRS's OP about limiting one's cooling range to the 'warmest possible' cool is spot on. Your body has a temperature range for wherever you live, and you want to gently ease your comfort rather than going super cold and confusing your body and wasting a lot of energy.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 03:28 PM

104F or 40C is brutal, everything I touched in our house last night was warm, and still so this morning, but thankfully cooled down this evening. Greyhound has stopped panting as well.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 03:49 PM

Years ago, I worked at the National Archives of Canada. My spot was a six-foot folding table in front of a window (they liked me!) between two banks of ceiling-high shelving loaded with Victorian political records. The climate control was set up for the benefit of the collection, not the staff, and the temperature typically hovered at or below 18 degrees Celsius. Humidity was kept below 40 percent.

I lived in an un-airconditioned flat with west-facing windows, and commuted by bus — also not air-conditioned. A typical Ottawa summer is steamy and hot for at least eight weeks.

By the time I got home each day that summer, my feet and ankles were swollen to about half again their natural size, and I had patches of eczema around my ribs (bra-induced) and behind my knees. The rash took till October to clear up. I shivered at work and sweated miserably the rest of the time.

So, yeah. For your own good, set the air-conditioning as high as you can tolerate.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 04:00 PM

As the permafrost melts, CO2 will increase beyond existing predictions.

Air conditioning is good if only to dry out humidity.

"They laughed when I bought an air conditioner for Alaska."

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 04:14 PM

Asphalt runways at Heathrow melted?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Jul 22 - 08:41 PM

It was Luton airport, actually. I know that you see us as a remote outpost, etc., but we do have more than one airport, you know...

The sheer denial of the adverse effects on global heating of air conditioning in this thread is staggering. The US and Australia were among the very worst when it came to poo-pooing the effects of carbon dioxide emissions. All that has now changed, of course, so it now comes down to excuses about how US/Oz lives are threatened, etc. (aka made uncomfortable). You need to seriously look up the vast increase in emissions that air conditioning causes, and to remember that the effects of those emissions are global. Actually, India and China's uptake of air conditioning is burgeoning, and they will say, with justification, if the US and Australia can do it, why shouldn't we? You guys in Oz and the US may talk about your aircon saving lives in your own neighbourhoods, etc., but you might just be forgetting that your aircon is a major contributor to the the future misery of hundreds of millions of people in countries far less well-equipped than your own to deal with the global warming that your convenient aircon is contributing to big time... Just sayin'...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 21 Jul 22 - 08:54 PM

Health and safety in an emergency, saving lives in an emergency. That's what we are talking about.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Jul 22 - 09:08 PM

And I'm talking about saving millions of lives via doing our damnedest to limit global heating, quite an emergency, I'd say. And I'm talking global, not advanced western-nation local. The millions of US/Oz/Canadian citizens (and Bonzo) who ramp up their air con at the drop of a hat are not doing it because there's a life-threatening emergency, on the whole. They're doing it because they're feeling a bit hot and sweaty. As I said, the denial here is staggering.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 21 Jul 22 - 10:52 PM

I suggest that you start a separate thread specifically to discuss climate change and climate action.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 01:11 AM

What's the title of this thread?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 01:19 AM

With respect, beating the heat by way of global strategies in both Europe and the US are now falling back and failing. The immediate needs are considered paramount to the goal of reducing the imminent 1.5 increase of global temperature.

A child born today will have 5 times the extreme heat emergencies compared to someone born in the 1960's.
A term that is becoming important again is 'Climate Migrant'.
Our net global response, impotent.

We shall not see a successful solution. PEOPLE BORN TODAY may not see a solution. Perhaps one day we will after 100 years of whinging.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 03:42 AM

Helen, 20 Jul 22 - 05:45 AM
I know what you mean about not being used to chill. (I have a friend who retired from Juneau to Palm Springs, California a few years ago and he says that if it is "only" 80F, they don't go in the pool- it is too chilly. lol)

It helps me to remember, and thus feel less guilty, that it is an actual matter of thinner/thicker blood. I used to be able to tolerate more heat than I can now.

And in Alaska, temperatures are odd. Scientists have an explanation for our discomfort when it heats up. Thusly, as I understand it: our sun up here is never directly overhead and in late afternoon it is low enough that it hits our bodies lower in the torso so we heat up all over.

Even tourists in Juneau often complain about the heat.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 04:27 AM

They have idiotic ideas to beat climate change like electric cars - for which a charge uses up 20 times the power used by an AC unit and 50 times that of a fridge, political science gets it wrong.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 05:04 AM

The tip for beating the heat by ramping up the air conditioning is, in the bigger picture, incredibly misguided, and criticism of it is sharply on-topic. Donuel is right to say that we are failing to address the big issue, and there is absolutely no doubt that the resort to air conditioning, which consumes vast amounts of western nations' electricity generation, is one of the major contributors to that failure. It isn't even ironic that cooling your house or office makes the earth's atmosphere hotter. It's become bloody obvious, and your comfort is a dire threat to someone else, maybe someone a conveniently long way away, out of sight. Actually, thousands of air conditioners belching out hot air in a city makes that city considerably hotter, so it can even be bad on a local level.

An air-conditioned hospital ward can be vital and life-saving. That would be appropriate use of the technology. Routine use in homes and office blocks as soon as the temperature goes up is not appropriate. We occasionally stay at a hotel in London in which the rooms each have aircon - and non-opening windows. Insane.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 05:45 AM

You make a lot of baseless assumptions, Steve.

Not even worth countering your comments with facts because you only hear or see what you want to hear or see, and you have proven over the years that facts are not your strong point.

A first responder, e.g. a paramedic or firefighter or police officer in an emergency will quickly take the appropriate actions to try to alleviate the problem to save lives or rescue people who are in danger.

First responders in emergencies don't take the moral high ground and waste valuable time lecturing the victims with shoulda-woulda-coulda's about actions which could have been taken years ago in the big picture. An emergency situation requires fast action to try to fix the problem or limit the damage, especially when people's health, safety or lives are in danger. That's what first aid is.

If you can't see that, then I thank God you are not a first responder.

Keep on saying what you want to say, over and over and over again. Keep on hijacking this thread, but you are missing the point.

Maybe the heatwave emergency is over and the tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat can be filed away for future reference.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stanron
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 06:23 AM

The fundamental impetus of this thread is kindness. Not everybody in the UK has missed that point. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 06:40 AM

I've been in a weather situation where I was extremely grateful for the kindness of a stranger. It was winter and I had to drive at night in a much colder, highland area near the Victorian border in Oz.

I live in a temperate/coastal area of NSW and we never experience icy roads here, and very rarely get frost overnight. A kind lady in the café where I had dinner warned me about ice on the roads, and about black ice. I appreciated her local knowledge and that she shared information with me which helped me to stay out of danger - a danger I would have been totally unaware of, due to growing up in and living in a very different type of weather area.

Note: It might interest you to know that I've only seen snow on the ground once in my life, and never seen snow falling.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 06:41 AM

My last post is my conclusion based on NPR broadcasts. The Bonzo post is eye opening. Steve is correct that air conditioning is beyond hypocrisy and is in the realm of last gasp denial. Helen artfully used first responders to illustrate the problem of addressing climate change in the 50 years of avoidance, denial and greed lieing. Like people trapped in an elevator, we face a threat of attacking each other. The challenge is cooperation on a scale greater than WWII to overcome a mutual foe.

We are at an interface between life and death where events move faster than expected and passions run high. Helen ended her post with mention that we will file away heat emergencies. Lets hope painful action will supercede the inclination to comfortably forget but I doubt it.

It looks like air conditioning and climate immigration will sadly be our first response.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 07:17 AM

No, what I said was that in an emergency, health, safety and saving lives is the priority.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 07:20 AM

That is absolutely right, the obsessions of the greenies with nothing to do do not help one bit!!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 07:54 AM

Helen. If there is a bit of dangerous road where there are constant accidents, the first responders do provide a vital service. To discount the fact that the situation needs fixing is ridiculous. Cutting down the work of emergency services by rectifying the fault should alse be a priority.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 07:55 AM

I'm no greenie, Bonzo, I assure you. I've just this very morning taken delivery of a ton of smokeless fuel for my two stoves for the winter, as well as a dozen very large bags of kiln-dried wood. I drive a diesel Focus. The rude and uncalled-for post of 05.45 AM (from a person I try to avoid addressing here - oh, that she'd do the same...) completely misses the point of what I'm saying. Nowhere have I said that individual emergencies shouldn't be addressed, and I gave the example of hospital wards where AC technology is highly appropriate, and there will be lots of other examples. I'm talking about the widespread assumption in western countries, and increasingly, worryingly, in India and China, that AC is a valid convenience to be used routinely in homes and workplaces whenever the temperature goes up. And I'll make the point also that the projected number of AC units worldwide of six billion in a few years' time is going to make the temperature go up for everybody on the planet, irrespective of whether they can resort to convenient fast-chilling technology.

To question a tip for keeping cool that has been raised here is not hijacking the thread. It is very much on-topic, whether it goes down well with some people or not. I try to discuss these things in a general way without attacking individuals. Nobody says you have to agree, but we can discuss it civilly if we like.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 09:01 AM

Steve's conservation efforts exceed mine. I don't think Helen and I disagree but I am still impressed by the first responder simile.

There will be moments of tearful pride in our response to this ultimate crises be it a musical on stage or a multi government statement to end climate change. Window dressing is pretty but chaos lies within. I have maintained my cynacism that we will likey not succeed over the next thousand years of climate change reversal or even the next hundred years. I do not even blame our lizard brain or morality.

The Earth has its own plans. Its been red with rust when oxygen levels rose, its bee, white when the oceans froze to the equator, its been blue with our liquid oceans. Its even been an incandescent orange of molten rock.

"The problem today was not from heaven or the stars, it is us."
hmmm... it almost sounds Shakespearian.
We were created and made of star stuff so to a limited degree I suppose we could blame the stars. But blame is usually a waste of time.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 09:38 AM

I do not have the carbon footprint of jet fuel so my conservation efforts may be close especially with closing the pool. Steve does win with car fuel savings gas mileage wise.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 10:09 AM

Staying cool enough to save your life in this heat is what the thread is about. Steve lives in a house that is thick stone and no additional cooling needed so feels entitled to nag everyone else about the housing where they find themselves. If he lived in a city in a house that has heating and air, that would be different.

We do what we can for now. Don't lower the thermostat below the level that you can tolerate (so the house is always fairly warm, it just isn't 111^o like outside.) The other things to make a small difference around here? The vehicle I drive was calculated to be large enough to move things I want to move but it isn't a truck because they're too expensive now. It's an SUV and I can move people or stuff. I put gas in it on average one time a month. Any time I make a trip I make sure I have several stops and can make that trip as efficiently as possible (making a loop, not darting too and fro and using more gas.) If I lived somewhere that had trains and buses with any reliability I would use those instead. I don't. That's one thing I loved about New York City. Trains are more efficient.

I don't buy new things if I can buy something used, so I visit thrift stores. And if you consider that many people simply put what they don't need at the curb to go to the dump, there could be a much better system of reusing things in place. I repair things when I can so the resources don't have to be used to make a new device or object. I don't maintain a lawn, I garden vegetables in the front yard and water deeply and infrequently in that garden while the rest of the yard scorches because it isn't essential. The next air conditioner will be more efficient than the last, and it will be the newest and hopefully most benign coolant in use for now. I would like to put solar panels on the roof, but need to pace myself and pay for that when I can. There are companies that will do it and charge you a monthly fee equivalent to your current electric bill, but that enables them to take advantage of all of the rest of the power you're not using (they sell it back to the dominant power company on the local grid.) I'd prefer to do that myself.

It sounds like the heat and flames are moving east through the European continent, and like here in the US, homes are being lost to fire and lives are being lost to heat. The heat is what this thread is about. Sandman's posts were deleted when he tried to change the subject, I suggest Steve also try to stay on the subject. How about offering suggestions to all of those homeless who are sleeping rough in urban areas? Those tents don't keep out the heat. I saw a man at the edge of a parking lot yesterday in a car that was as close to junk yard quality as I've seen in a long time. His driver's door was propped open and he was leaning back against a pile of stuff in the passenger seat and was asleep. Except for the fact that I was alone, I considered what could be offered to this guy to keep him alive in the heat if he is reduced to sleeping in his car? For the time being I decided not to bother him, but if he had been awake or moving around I would have at least handed him a bottle of water and some cash to help with what was obviously a cashflow problem. Invite him home? No, I'm not that brave. Look up city and county services to see what is available? I can do that and maybe have a better answer next time.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 10:15 AM

I have to look up degrees F to convert into degrees C - it's taken many years to get used to degrees C!!!

When we stayed in Scotsdale Arizona back in 1999, the daily temperature hit 120F but because it was so dry didn't feel excessively hot. We drove to Grand Canyon where it was snowing!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 10:18 AM

When lithium batteries are made they take a lot of resources that need special handling if you are going to reclaim any when the life of the battery is expired. When solar panels are discarded, they introduce a lot of problems to standard dumps that can be mitigated by special handling to recycle the materials, but there need to be people trained and resources aimed at this secondary part of the solar panel market. Until complete circuits can be established to build, establish, maintain, then recycle these products, there is a problem. And as long as planned obsolescence is featured in manufacturing, there is an even bigger problem. Monopolies in business, dark money in politics, rich politicians working against environmental causes (looking at you, Joe Manchion and your coal mines in West Virginia) there are problems. Citizens United is a problem. Modern banking is a problem. Lots of things to solve to get to a more environmentally stable planet. Stop the nonsense of crypto currency and you'll save a lot of power right away.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 01:10 PM

There is a success in recycling lithium batteries to be better than when they were first made.

Banking! Tell me about it.

Did Star Trek ever explain how they solved the money problem in our century?

There is hope, but in this dawn's early light I can not make out the details. Only a vague shape.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 02:19 PM

The Washington Post and their @Postclimate feature on Instagram ran a piece this morning about how heat pumps work. This is as close as I could come to reproducing that article online.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 02:45 PM

I haven't read the link yet but...
Underground tanks are naturally cooled and require only a small bit of electricity to run a pump such as from a vertical wind mill (They look like giant DNA sticking up and twirling).

The tanks require an expensive installation in only suitable areas.

Should they leak the enviornmental damage cost is greater than construction.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 04:18 PM

There are different types of heat pumps. This isn't one of the deep ones mentioned here.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 04:35 PM

Thanks, Dave the Gnome:

"To discount the fact that the situation needs fixing is ridiculous. Cutting down the work of emergency services by rectifying the fault should also be a priority."

I am not actually discounting any of that. I'm simply trying to stick to the topic of this thread. I suggested starting a new thread - or finding an older thread if it exists - to discuss the very real and urgent problem of climate change.

This thread has a specific focus, which is helpful, local knowledge based advice on dealing with excessive heat with particular emphasis on not taking the situation lightly because lives can be seriously affected or even lost.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 02:45 PM

Well, I suppose we shouldn't be dedicating posts to cold weather, in that case... ;-)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 03:17 PM

The topic of the thread is beating the heat and surely reducing energy usage will help that. Or am I missing something?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 03:21 PM

Joyous music makes the heat feel more festive and concert like but that doesn't mean you should dance in the sun.

If you trust your own creative instincts you might find a new path and not feel compelled to follow an angry man's trail. The risk might be getting lost or eaten (unlikely in a social thread) but there won't be as much debris or litter.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 03:40 PM

Sorry Don. Beyond me :-(

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 03:58 PM

well adopt a different life style if possible,if possible take a siesta in the middle of the day, keep skin covered as much as possible to avoid skin cancer.
drink lots of water, put a wet towel on the back of the neck, or on the head.
i am lucky i live in a stone house which is cool in the summer, do gardening late at evening or early in morning

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 04:14 PM

Correct, Dave. And you make several good points there, Dick (credit where it's due, eh?)

But keep it cosy, chaps... ;-)

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 04:19 PM

Well I won't say any more about airc*n in this thread (I've promised...). However, I do wish to disabuse Maggie about how and where I've spent my life, naturally with reference to the vicissitudes of having to endure heat. Yep, I've lived in a house with thick stone walls for 35 years. But I've lived for twice as long as that. I lived for several years high up in a concrete block of flats in east London, two of those years including two of the hottest summers ever recorded in this country (1975 and 1976). From 1978 to 1986 I lived in a tight-packed brick terraced house just outside London on the Central Line, which included the two very hot summers of 1983 and 1984. In recent years we've holidayed a number of times in Andalucía, always in the height of summer (owing to my sister's school holidays), routinely in temperatures hovering around 40C. But those temperatures were tempered, as in Texas, by very low humidity. We found that 37 or 40 in Córdoba and Granada, with humidity in single numbers, was far more tolerable than 28 or 29 in Cornwall with humidity at a typical 60%. We were unlucky enough to holiday in Italy during heatwaves twice, the second one (Lake Como) with temperatures in the high thirties and sky-high humidity. I've been to Oz too, but I'll say no more about the fairly widespread complacent attitudes I found there to global warming.

So I do leave my stone-walled house occasionally, Maggie, and I've been around a fair bit during my time there as well as during the half of my life before I moved into it. Assumptions are easy. Facts are slightly more sacred!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 05:07 PM

I am refreshing the following thread:

BS: climate crisis - how do we go from here?

so that the discussion of climate change can be done where it is appropriate and not in this thread which has a specific purpose.

Now that the UK heatwave appears to be over the tips from Texas (and other areas) to the UK for beating the heat may not be needed at this stage. Emergency over, so far, until the next time perhaps?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 05:10 PM

I get it. You've been hot and not so hot.

Dave the Gnome, I think the heat got to me. Now what goes with mad dogs...?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 05:39 PM

The specific purpose of the thread is in the title. Cold weather experiences, though...?

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 06:41 PM

If discussion in this thread has to be limited to that defined in the title: i.e. ".... from Texas to the UK ...., how did it end up talking about the weather in Australia? I think we need to stay on topic

DC

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 07:05 PM

You could have a point there, Doug... Though at least if we can stick to hot weather stuff instead of snow drifts, maybe it isn't quite so bad...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 10:10 PM

People in hot places have techniques for staying cool. Oz certainly is on that list of "hot places."

We're in the lower-triple-digits this week - 102 to 104, and maybe on Friday a high of 98 and a possibility of rain. Wouldn't that be a treat! So many days in a row of high heat are tiring, that is for certain.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 02:08 AM

Mrs Bonzo received delivery of a digital thermometer/hygrometer which showed that the temperature in our house was 29C last night despite being 18C outside at 11pm, so downstairs fan stays on overnight for the greyhound.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 02:25 AM

I follow several Texas animal sanctuaries, Stilly River, and it's heart-rending to see how the heat impacts the critters and how anxious the people are. Evidently a number of farmers and ranchers are having to truck their stock to auction because there is so little feed for them. One rancher said that he is having to feed hay right now, in the middle of July, when he normally doesn't start that until October.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 04:54 AM

Very sad.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:39 AM

Last night's minimum here was 17.6C, easily our warmest night of the year so far, but we slept well. Getting properly dry after the shower wasn't quite so easy... Our house retains heat via its thick walls, and we can open lots of windows to let in the breeze, but living on a farm means that you let in the bluebottles en masse if you do that (even the odd blue tit or pipistrelle), swarms of gnats on hot summer nights and millions of cluster flies if you do it any time from late August on. We found the ubiquitous fly screens in Australia to be very repressive and we won't contemplate them. I haven't tried dangling corks on string on the front of my Tilley hat as yet. We are gradually cooling down after the heatwave, though we are suffering from high humidity in the low to mid-20s at the moment.

I wear lightweight shorts all the year round, go barefoot for most of the day and wear only sandals and never socks. Just a cotton short-sleeve shirt in light colours, no vests, etc., (Mrs Steve has suggested that I need a bra...) and a sleeveless gilet to go shopping or walking in winter (winters are mild round here). I don't wear big coats ever, and I have one pair of long pants, strictly for weddings and funerals only. A sneaky cold shower with the garden hose, or just a dousing of the head, a la Maggie, works wonders. I acknowledge that one or two elements of my hot-weather behaviour are only possible because our garden is very private/I don't have to dress to go to work...

Them's my tips from Bude (and we did get a record-smashing 36C last Monday and we were the sunniest place in Britain last Friday).

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:54 AM

My prescription for the warming is the universal language of music.
We will adapt in perhaps a million years but in the meantime here is a tune called BECOME OCEAN that is by john luther adams for 3 orchestras,
ENJOY a timeless peopleless experience from where life originates.

It is not Le MER or folk songs but it is an immersive pleasant experience and swells like the ocean.

becoming ocean

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 04:39 PM

A useful article in the Oz ABC news this week:

How the body responds to extreme temperatures, and what we can do to beat the potentially lethal impact

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:20 PM

I've concluded that the heat has impacted the recovery from knee surgery in that I'm simply not getting out and walking in this heat. The result is I've lost some strength in my legs. I'm going to start going to the gym on the off-days from PT to walk slowly on the treadmill. There is simply no walking around outside because in the cooler morning hours when it might be comfortable to walk (when it's only 82^o) it's also the time more comfortable to sleep. :-)

We are certainly stuck in a rut. Shopping hours are best after sunset so the stores that are still open get the business. I do go out for a little while during the day to refill the bird baths and water the potted plants. There might be six to eight more weeks of this. It isn't even August yet.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Charmion
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:33 PM

It was raining in Stratford when I woke up this morning. I swear the hydrangea bushes in the garden were flapping their leaves in glee.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:51 PM

Hubby and I were in the habit of going for a brisk early morning walk a few days a week until the crazy run of weather stopped us. Flooding rains and chilly winds have almost brought us to a standstill.

A trick we have is to go to a large shopping centre building and walk around the corridors because it is sheltered from the weather. We don't live really close to a shopping centre like that so we haven't done it more than once a week but I think we might start to get better walking weather soon.

Our walking spot is next to a large creek which goes down to the harbour so it has some good views to keep us happy while we do the obligatory exercise.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jul 22 - 05:58 PM

The Royal Horticultural Society, of which we're members, have asked us which plants suffered in last week's unprecedented heatwave. Well my non-stop begonias are sulking badly, though the ones in semi-shade aren't too bad. Impatiens, whether bizzie Lizzies or New Guineas, are also doing badly. My lacecap hydrangeas are suffering, as are my long-established Cornus shrubs, though that could be drought. My pelargoniums are doing brilliantly, just as well as they're my mainstay. The surfinias are looking good. In the veg plot my broad beans are now all safely in the freezer, and they did well this year. My spud crop is the best ever. The runner beans need tlc but they'll be fine. Fortunately I'm not on a water meter. I have goodly supplies of all manner of fresh herbs.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 02:06 AM

We went over to Wroxham (Norfolk Broads) yesterday and saw a huge plume of black smoke drifting over nearby fields. As we sat in the McDonalds, about ten fire-engines hurtled through the high street, sirens blaring. Apparently they had been sent from five towns, some not all that nearby.
The railway line had to be shut down. Harvest is in progress, and it's thought that carelessness with cigarettes, matches, outdoor barbecues etc cause these dangerous field fires. Although sometimes 'spontaneous combustion' in the intense heat and drought can start fires too. Very worrying.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 03:45 AM

Senoufou, in Australia there are very strict rules about total fire bans and not throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, etc, during high fire danger periods. We are used to the rules because high fire danger periods occur often in our climate.

I guess it's another thing that we take for granted here - it's part of our normal way of life - and areas like the UK are not really aware of until the heatwave emergency periods occur.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 04:19 AM

Ah Helen, I wish people here had the same awareness! Our roadsides are littered with rubbish chucked out of cars (cans, bottles, used masks, plastic bags etc) and it causes hazards to wildlife, constitutes a fire risk (and it looks terrible!).
Apparently, the poor firemen were badly affected by toiling away in the heat (from the fires and from the sun). This is all getting so serious.
Our local river and 'lakes' are thronged with youngsters/teenagers having a swim. Lovely for them, they come from far and wide to bathe in the Wensum in our village. But they too leave piles of litter and I've seen some of them smoking cigarettes. Our farmers are starting to harvest their crops, and they must be so fed up with the drought and the fire risk.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 05:41 AM

It doesn't stop some people from littering generally but I think a lot of people are aware of fire hazards in high fire danger periods, which are well advertised.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 06:44 AM

I'm so cool that the heat just rolls off me.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 10:03 AM

Senoufou, there is a popular essayist in the US named David Sedaris. He and his partner Hugh had a house somewhere in the UK and a few essays emanate from time spent there. One of them had to do with the time he spent picking up trash along the road near his house. Quite an operation. I think it was the collection called Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls.

Every week a dozen more counties in Texas are designated "disaster areas" so they can get special funding to help recover from the fires that have been racing through them. One spark and "bam!" you have a wildfire. This can keep going for a while - we have 254 counties here.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 10:22 AM

Falling birds and dehydrated hedgehogs: heatwave takes its toll on UK wildlife Animals and insects have been casualties of recent extreme heat, but the true impact will only be known over time, experts say ...

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 10:23 AM

We have him here too.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 11:27 PM

Though it might seem counter-intuitive, in this weather a hot bath in the evening before bed means that when I get out of the tub the air just feels cooler (relatively speaking), enough so that I can get to sleep more easily. Definitely a quick shower, a patio shower, a sponge bath, or a regular bath will help you sleep. There is nothing like prickly heat to drive you nuts at bedtime.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Helen
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 11:48 PM

Trade unions plead for maximum working temperatures following heatwave deaths in Europe

There is a section near the end which states:

"In Australia there is no maximum temperature above which workers must stop work.

"Safe Work Australia says a single '"stop work" rule cannot account for all the factors that make working in heat hazardous.

"They include humidity, air flow, physical intensity, fitness and acclimatisation."

Note: That doesn't mean that workers in Australia have to keep working in unsafe temperatures. What it means, in my experience, is that each industry has its own work health and safety standards relating to the varying work situations. As an example, when I worked for a local council there were strict rules for the outdoor workers on when they had to stop work due to high temperatures. The indoor workers in offices etc had a different set of temperature standards.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:00 AM

There were men refinishing a concrete slab in the back yard next door last week when it was about 108^o out. I think they should have taken the days off, but then, they'd be taking the summer off at this rate and probably couldn't collect unemployment compensation if they lost jobs because they refused to work in the heat outdoors. At least there was shade.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: leeneia
Date: 27 Jul 22 - 12:30 PM

A shower or bath before bed may be fine, but don't go to bed with wet hair. Your pillow and bedding will be become a zoo of micro-organisms living on your skin cells plus the water your hair provides.

Gross, eh what?

I don't see anything here about the old and vulnerable. Who do you know who's 80 or 90 and living alone? Your aunt, your father's old friend, your neighbor. Such people need to be checked on. They can do crazy things like be afraid to turn on a fan.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jul 22 - 10:16 AM

Perhaps not wet hair in bed, but for people with allergies washing hair before bed or changing pillow cases so they don't have a day's worth of pollen in their hair to leave on the pillow to breathe in.

Pillows are things that you don't want to look at too closely. And should probably be replaced far more often than we actually do.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Senoufou
Date: 29 Jul 22 - 09:41 AM

Our landfill green bin was emptied this afternoon and the three poor binmen were sweating again. (It's rather warm today.) I handed them three icy-cold cans of Diet Coke (which I always have handy in the summer months for fainting postmen, couriers and binmen) One chap made me laugh - he stuck the cold can down his trousers to cool his tummy!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jul 22 - 10:21 AM

Diet Coke - the Nutrasweet hits me like one of those saline laxatives. No can do.

I notice that the water bottles from the new case are a little snug in the cooler I put on the porch. Yesterday not only were both bottles gone, but all of the cooler ice water as well. Perhaps poured over the overheated mail carrier?

I put a 4' kiddie pool (blue molded plastic) out in the front yard with large stones and bricks so birds can land on them. And I put a little floating solar fountain in the middle with a few half-bricks standing on end to keep it in the middle. That way it won't spray all of the water out of the pool (a problem when floating it in smaller bird baths).

Some things have been over-watered; I think I killed the American beautyberry and finally figured out what was going on. I'll have to use an old golf club without the head to probe around in a few places and see how wet or dry the soil is. Keeping things alive in the vegetable garden till fall is the goal so I can get a few crops in milder weather.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Jul 22 - 12:13 PM

Very heavy and humid this afternoon, hoping for rain to cool the air a bit!

Very disappointed to find that Maille Mustard with Honey no longer available.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 29 Jul 22 - 10:43 PM

The aspertame variant is the culprit. If the diet drink ever reaches 100 F the sweetener turns into formaldihyde. Airline pilots are mandated to not drink the stuff.

Govenor Abbot has bussed 4,000 immigrants to Washington DC. They are being tended to by volunteers. The mayor wants Federal help but there is none yet. At least the immigrants have beat the heat.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Jul 22 - 10:58 PM

I've heard about a shortage of mustard in France also. I have several varieties in the fridge here but they will last a long time, I don't use it that often. Good luck in sorting that out soon!

The temperature dropped about 20 degrees this evening as a few rain showers passed through the area. I didn't get rain, but I enjoyed an evening in the mid-80s!

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 02:40 AM

The explanation given by one of the supermarket managers was that Maille cannot source certain ingredients, hey ho, I found a honey and mustard dressing which isn't bad.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 10:57 AM

"The aspertame variant is the culprit. If the diet drink ever reaches 100 F the sweetener turns into formaldihyde."

Where does this come from? I've found that methanol is produced in the metabolism of aspartame and that formaldehyde is produced from methanol as it is processed through the body but nothing that matches what you suggest.

See Wikipedia for example.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 11:45 AM

The one I have to avoid is Stevia. It turns my stomach into something resembling a cement mixer.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 12:18 PM

Aspartame is something that was left over from really unsavory cold war experiments, is my understanding of its origins. Wikipedia says it came from developing an ulcer medication. I suspect information was conflated a long time ago. Since Monsanto got NutraSweet when it bought Searle, and since they also produced a lot of toxic products, it was a logical conclusion. It is a really nasty product.

Staying cool this time of year means staying hydrated. I make a green tea with lemon balm tea in quart or half-gallon jars (two tea bags per quart, three for the half-gallon; a teaspoon or two of dried lemon balm in a tea sieve ball). To this I sweeten with a level measure scoop of stevia the same amount as tea bag (two scoops per quart, 3 scoops per half gallon). And I squeeze in a tablespoon or a little more of honey into it for the honey flavor. This comes out as a home-version of the Arizona brand green tea with ginseng and honey tea. (I don't have ginseng but the lemon balm grows all over the yard). There doesn't seem to be enough caffeine in the green tea to bother me at bedtime, though I usually don't drink it past about 5pm. Black tea is for mornings only here these days.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 02:54 PM

Monsanto has long since sold the patent to Aspertame to avoid lawsuits. It is found today in chewing gum and other smaller products. Its a pretty old product to research, thats for sure.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 08:06 PM

Monsanto passed off stuff like glyphosate to Bayer. They're passing the toxins around among themselves.

I bought a 100' garden hose today to have as spare for dragging to the back of the yard or to either side if I must. In case some spark starts the neighborhood alight. All it takes is a dropped cigarette or a poorly adjusted lawn mower (if anyone has lawn left to mow). Having been trained and spending several years fighting forest fires, I have gear handy. My hose, my shovel, long pants, socks and shoes (instead of shorts and loafers that I usually wear around the house), a hat, etc.

Subject: RE: Tips from Texas to the UK for beating the heat
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 11:19 AM

1) build a wall and stand in the shade