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A Cool Idea Whose Time Has Come Again

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“HFCs represent a small portion of total greenhouse gas emissions, but they trap thousands of times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide,” according to The Times.

New reports indicate air conditioning may both prevent and spread COVID-19. The New York Post says A/C helps prevent spread by bringing fresh air in - but The Atlantic says A/C can help spread the virus if it is already inside, by blowing it around rooms.

Whatever the case, my goal is to cool my house just as my father did during my childhood.

With his powerful whole-house industrial fan, we got by just fine without air conditioning - when few of our suburban neighbors had A/C. He was a master at driving hot, stale air from our house.

The big attic fan sucked hot air up and out through a roof vent. A window fan in a downstairs bedroom pulled cool air in.

My father took years to perfect his method, but by closing some windows and doors and adjusting others to varying degrees of openness, he tuned our house like a fine violin. He could lower the temperature 15 degrees or more in a matter of minutes.

He always woke early and turned the fans off. Every morning, I awakened to the sound of birds chirping, a dewy coolness in the air.

In any event, by minimizing my central A/C usage, I’ll reduce my electric usage and risk of HFCs leaking into the atmosphere.

 

But here’s the best part.

My new whole-home fan will run all night. Its wobbling hum will fill me with a peacefulness and calm I knew as a child many years ago.

A timer will shut it off before I wake. And I’ll awaken again to the sound of birds chirping, a dewy coolness in the air.

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©2020 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970's Childhood," a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. For info on using this column in your publication or website, contact Sales@cagle.com or call (805) 969-2829. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.


Copyright 2020 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com

 

 

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