I’m not sure your question has an answer. Will we eventually have to tighten our electricity belts so far as to suffer in the heat without air conditioning? Perhaps. I doubt it. I think people would be far more willing to invest in newer, cheaper technologies (like those LED lights), or to cut corners (not have so many lights, period) than to abolish air conditioning. We likes our air conditioning. But I guess it’s possible.
How will everyone feel about it? I’d hate it. I’d (as I said) not patronize places that cut out air conditioning (or didn’t run it to a comfortable level for me) as long as their competitors gave me an option.
What would I do if it was eradicated everywhere? I’d live with it, of course. Just like people lived for several tens of thousands of years before it was invented. I’d expect to see a huge change in architecture: high rise office buildings would be impossible to keep running, and windows that don’t open would become a thing of the past. We might return to nice airy atriums (atria?) and courtyards that encourage air flow.
I think your plan is sound. I think public places are too cool. I don’t think people should put a few degrees of personal comfort ahead of an energy crisis that cannot be ignored. I think 74 degrees would be fair. Add it all up across the nation and it would be a savings. How could it not be?
Another problem is that while these places may feel too cold to you, when they fill up with people, the place is going to heat up. Add places where the doors are constantly opening and closing, and you’re going to HAVE to crank the AC up.
Is it really such a huge burden to carry a freaking sweater? You do realize that on the news there are reports from people DYING in this heat wave, right?
Yes, but for different people there’s a different limit. I rarely go to casinos, but I would never go if they didn’t crank up the AC. I go to movies in the summer because they are air conditioned. If I wanted to watch a movie or spend money frivolously while warm, I can do that at home. Personally, I value the AC a lot more than I value lots of other conveniences. I ride my bike or walk rather than driving most of the time, so I’m certainly doing my part to conserve. I just don’t feel like cutting back on the AC.
If you want this to be accepted as a serious proposal, I’d expect some info concerning the energy usage and exactly what you consider “public places.” Gonna extend to all public accomadations - hotels, restaurants, etc ad infinitum?
And don’t forget keeping that temp low during the winter. I hope I’m not theo only one olde enough to remember JC wearing a sweater - and being ridiculed for it.
Then you are going to need to compare the heating/AC energy use with lighting, transportation, cooking, whatever else. Like the Duke said, you wanna save energy, shut the casinos down, and stop flying planes all over the place while you are at it.
Finally, how do you enforce this? Government regulation? Taxing fuel? Or simply allowing market forces to control?
These are the first reasons, off the top of my head, why I am unable to engage your OP as a serious debate.
Okay…there’s a difference between Deadly-Hot and Adequately-Cooled and Fucking-freezing-too-cold. There is a middle ground. I think that’s what she’s talking about. Maintaining a middle temperature that might be *slightly uncomfortable * rather than mutherin’ hot isn’t unreasonable.
OTOH, consider you’re talking about Vegas casinos. I’ve lived in Vegas and worked in casino.
Most of the problem is smoke control, IMO. Open the door - you’ll feel a wind and the suction. Air in those buildings is changed completely several times an hour, if I recall correctly. Someone pointed out correctly above that the hotel part of the building is warmer, I suspect this is why. Otherwise, the whole building would reek of cigarette smoke. It does, but only near smokers, not in general.
If your problem is with temperature specifically, consider that its VERY hot outside, and stays that way - better to get it to a cooler temp and keep it there, takes less energy to maintain than it would to be constantly trying to cool it back from a higher temp.
If your problem is with power usage…well, its Vegas. Hoover dam isn’t running dry soon, and casinos are all about Conspicuous Consumption (dancing fountains in the desert anyone?)
I suppose the answer to this is that solar panels are rather unsightly. In order to generate even a fraction of the needed power, the building would have to be practically covered with them. They couldn’t just throw a couple up on the roof and have it make any difference. Of course, perhaps one day there will be a Environmentalist-themed casino. They could build a whole building out of the solar panels and have it be part of their schtick.
Memory dims, but when we toured Hoover a couple of years back (hardhat tour - highly recommended) I believe they said something about the incredible and increasing demand for power generated there, and how widely it is sold. My foggy memory tells me they said something about how Hoover-produced electricity is distributed is up for review or renegotiation at sometime in the relatively near future, and it is not inconceivable that either Vegas or SoCal might get screwed.
Also, regarding casinos specifically, the warmer it is, the sleepier people get. Sleepy people don’t gamble as much, so it’s in the interest of the casino’s bottom line to keep it chilly.
There is similar reasoning behind the fact that there isn’t a single visible clock in any casino in the land. Keeping people at the tables keeps the money rolling in.
We actually have two separate rooms, one is for tournament play. The tournament room had the A/C break on a day we had a huge 400 player tournament. Only 150 of that were in the tournament room along with at least 16 dealers, one brush, one cashier, one supervisor and no telling how many onlookers. So approximately 170 people. When we first entered the room, it was warm, but bearable. By the end, we had box fans brought in, they were shutting down the tables sooner to get folks out of there as soon as possible. It was HOT. These folks are rubbing up against each other, crammed onto tables they were MISERABLE.
Our other room has such wild temperature variations through out the room, it is impossible for us to dress accordingly. We know we will sweat and freeze in the same room.
The reason I am saying this, is because what the OP thinks might be the temperature set at 68 degrees probably isn’t. It is probably lower than that trying to maintain a comfortable temperature, add in opening doors, sweltering heat and hot, drunk bodies…well, they are probably “airing” (pun) on the side of caution.
IMHO, gambling establishments are lavish in some ways and incredibly cheap in others. The theming is to get YOU in. How themed do you think the employee areas of the casino are? If there was a cheaper way, I think they would do it.
I’m guessing that fountain out there probably uses more resources than any given casino gaming floor.
Maybe a market solution would be to develop a sliding scale to account for kilowatt usage that is in excess of average on a square foot basis. Charge even more for this “extra” when peak use occurs. That lets the casinos keep the A/C at their ridiculously frigid temps (I was also freezing in Vegas and it drove me out of the casinoes at times) and in effect tax people like Marriott who insist on overcooling their space. WhyNot and yBeayf could keep their homes as cool as they wish, and patronize the businesses that provide them the A/C they so richly deserve and are willing to pay for. I’d be free to eschew places that want to freeze me out. In the excess usage of kilowatts, gas or oil should be charged the same. Even better if I could get credited for reduced usage, although that happens anyway in form of reduced costs of use.
Something else to remember, especially in the newer ones, there is almost nothing in a casino that is not totally contrived and by design. If rows of slot machines 5 machines long averaged .03% more revenues than rows four or six machines long, they will make them five. If they make .15% more in revenues and spend .10% in power by cooling the place another .5 degrees, down goes the AC.
Casino management software is huge and extremely detailed. Everything is about a comfortable appealing environment and ease of finding a place to spend your money. If all of casino casino A was at 72 and casino B was at 78 I’ll bet you $50 no casino owner wants to dial it back to 80 even as an experiment.
It would not shock me in the slightest if they have already tried with small areas and seen measurable decreases in time and money spent in the area by customers.
Well, in the case of any one individual business, you have every right to complain to the owner/management. If they get a good number of dudes complaining their AC is “too cold” they will adjust it.
In the case of “just cut air conditioning in public places to 78 degrees, across the board, across the nation? This needs to happen so desperately” it is because no one is God Emperor, and it’s unlikely for Congress to pass such a law, which is perhaps even of doubful Constituionality.
Anise, like you, I am sensitive to the cold. I take a sweater or jacket everywhere “just in case.” I am literally thin-skinned and I don’t mind making the adjustment. Even at home I often wear a sweater even in the summer. At night we turn off the air conditioner and just use the fan. Mind you, this is in the South!
One reason that I don’t mind using a sweater is that I used to like the air conditioner set at 65 – day or night. I weighed twice as much as I do now and the fat served as insulation. A room temperature of 78 would have been genuinely miserable for me.
As fate would have it, I taught in a high school classroom without air-conditioning. The second story wall of windows faced the afternoon sun. Each student’s body put out the equivalent of the heat of a one hundred watt light bulb. We began school in August each year in Tennessee. No fan was provided for the classrooms either.
I had been told in Teacher School to keep the classroom at between 68 degrees and 72 degrees F. Very funny. I’m sure there were days it was 110 degrees.
I’m just content not to be there anymore. I hope this story warms your heart. If not, treat yourself to cashmere cardigans.
