tattler magazine

The weather has been killing me for the past two days. The weather forecaster said: “Today’s weather is at a high of 33.5°C, with the chance of slight showers in the afternoon.” NOT ENOUGH FOR ME. Give me some thunderstorms and howling winds – not monsoons and typhoons though. I love the temperature at a comfortable 22°C. The things I would do to live in a country with such great weather. Does such a country even exist? (If it does, please tell me!)

In line with the theme of being eco-friendly, I would like to discourage the overuse of (almost) every Singaporean’s favourite electrical appliance – the air-conditioner. It was once reported by the Wall Street Journal that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said that someone should invent air-conditioned underwear, because that way “everyone can then work at his optimum temperature and civilisation can spread across all climates.” (Yes, I googled “lee kuan yew aircon underwear” – so wrong, so ridiculous, but TRUE).

Sure, the heat may be killing us. But switching on the air-conditioner is not going to make matters any better. In fact, it’s just going to make it worse.

Heat waves will be more frequent and unbearable. The heat and carbon dioxide produced by the air-conditioning unit is just adding more crap to the atmosphere.

If you’re selfish and don’t care about the environment, think about your wallet. For every degree raised on your air-conditioners thermostat, results in less energy being used, which results in less electricity being consumed, and ultimately, less money is spent on the utility bills.

Scientists have called this phenomenon an “urban heat island” effect, where the temperature in the city can be up to 10°C higher than the surrounding countryside. The built-up urban environment acts like a giant storage heater, with air pollution, traffic and a lack of open space contributing to the heat of the city. The heavy use of modern day appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners also add more heat to the environment.

In this never-ending cycle of consumption and heat generation, we should all play a part in trying to reduce or slow down the rate of heat emissions.  Architects can design buildings with more green solutions and solar panels can be installed on rooftops. Politicians can push for industries to reduce their greenhouse gases emissions. But as individuals, we can all do something, right here, right now.

These are some feasible tips, with regards to dealing with the heat and air-conditioners:

1. Try setting the temperature of the air-conditioner one degree higher each day, to find what temperature you are really comfortable at.
2. Petition or rally for your company or school to not have the air-conditioners on when the rooms are empty.
3. Invest in a heat recovery system. Rather than using electricity, reuse the heat generated by the air-conditioner to heat the water in your hot water tank.
4. If possible, go back to the basics. Open the windows, switch on the fans to allow for a breezy experience. Smell the fresh air -while it lasts, before the air gets really polluted.
5. Since your refrigerator/freezer is on, make some popsicles to suck on :)
6. Even when in the car, try not to blast the air-conditioning as that results in more carbon dioxide being produced.
7. If you feel like you’re melting, jump into the pool and go for a swim to cool off (and get some exercise). Don’t forget to slap on some sunblock!