At least in my country (Netherlands) the neoliberals have decided every single fucking thing needs to turn a consistent profit and the company who handles the grid is only allowed to upgrade when there is “utility and necessity” which in essence means any time they want to upgrade in anticipation of future demand everyone involved drags their feet.
The result of that policy is that now there is a ridiculous waiting list for commercial grid connections and there are plans to also restrict new high capacity residential connections. For a country that has been run by businessmen for the past 20 years we sure seem to have an awful lack of long-term vision.
Don’t even get me started on the attitude that people here have towards A/C. We don’t live in a country that’s only hot for 1 week a year anymore but lots of ppl just won’t accept that. I guess it’s climate coping/denial combined with wanting to feel superior to Americans.
We will be cooked (literally)
EDIT: I just remembered that yesterday they unexpectedly had to cut power to 10000 homes for 14 minutes and it wasn’t even a hot day.
It’s crazy to me because surely you would be extracting more wealth from working people (and raising the blessed holy statistic known as GDP) with a grid that actually works and can take on new customers. I know they’re evil but I guess they’re also just stupid.
Stuff like infrastructure should most of the time not be privatized and remain in state hands.
As a business you just need to outbid your opponent for the electric grid or whatever.
Then you do the bare minimum to say you delivered within budget etc.
People are sheep and won’t notice until they are sitting in the dark.
The company that had a realistic cost in their offer was probably not picked.
Which means whoever does the picking also doesn’t care about anything further away in time than “project declared done, money has been payed”. Time for me to take a break (been lamenting about these things for too long now)
It’s definitely not ok, but when treating the root cause will take decades if not centuries (which we absolutely should still do), perhaps it makes sense to look into treating the symptoms as well
To my knowledge a lot of ACs can’t even operate at those temperatures, or only in a degraded fashion. The optimal maximum outside temperature of mine apparently is 35°C. After that the radiator can’t get rid of the heat fast enough to have the inside unit work at full capacity.
There are genius ways to build homes that get cooled down even without electricity. See the “earthship” design for example, routing fresh air through pipes in the ground where it cools down, going through the home as the hot air gets sucked out by a “thermal chimmey” (literally creates airflow by using the sun). If we combined that with good insulation to avoid the sun heating up walls and windows we’d have liveable temperatures inside even at 50°C outside. But western countries not even remotely progressive enough for such a radical but necessary structural shift, so even right now we keep building houses designed to trap heat.
Why? Won’t they just get to sell more fossil fuels to meet the electricity demand while politicians endlessly drag their feet on cheaper, renewable alternatives?
EDIT: Oh you mean treating the root cause, yeah true
There is no treatment for the root cause, lol either we continue to pump co2 into the atmosphere or we stop. Either way, temperature increase is locked in for roughly a century at this point. We lost the fight for a livable planet. The human extinction event continues
It’s been the defining sentiment to the story when discussed in the US. The GOP has taken to the rhetoric of comparing heat deaths in Europe to gun deaths in US, as in Europe is being far more irresponsible not installing AC than US is not controlling guns (their words).
The truth is a lot (probably most) of Americans don’t have AC. It wasn’t really needed in most places until a few years ago. A lot of people rent and a lot of states don’t legally require AC in a rental. Because of that landlords refuse to install AC. If states started requiring it things would look a lot different.
The reason that “it’s ok we have AC” is a dumbass small brain take is that the “it” that is allegedly ok in this scenario is global warming. AC won’t save most of the planet from the consequences of our choices and actions.
My house is fully off grid with a 36kW solar system and 86kWh battery setup. There are times where I can get down to the wire but ultimately that’s when it’s a prolonged rain /storm scenario.
The hotter it is the more likely the sun is shining, so I have zero concerns about a blackout situation. Realize this isn’t viable for most people but I sure am glad I took the plunge.
Not this american. Ive been screaming my head off about how the machery our society runs on is all designed to run in a specific temperature range, and we are nearing the upper edge of that range now.
Most residential air conditioners can only manage a split of 30°F. That means if its 110 outside, your AC will struggle to keep the inside temp colder than 80°F. Sure, there are solutions for this. But they arent being implemented becsuse that is a problem for next quarter.
It was the same thing they did when they ridiculed Al Gore for using the term Global Warming “But it’s still cold when it’s winter” facepalm I have stopped believing educational stats and IQ tests from america to be true. It is so much worse than anyone thinks.
No I’m just sick of the hate all Americans shit when we’re fighting for our lives against a fascist Nazi government that is brainwashing people to fight each other instead of the fucking president of don’t look up but as a male
I have and the movie is apt except I don’t remember a bunch of people lumping Harris voters in with literal Nazis just because we’re all in the United States. Which part of the movie was that again?
You say that as though corporations are fucking everything up for their own amusement, rather than in the service of making sure the “regular American” gets their luxuries for cheap.
Which luxuries? I agree that America is one of the biggest baddies when it comes to overconsumption, but fighting with each other just let’s the nazi billionaires rob us all blind
Who is fighting each other? No one’s saying that climate change is the fault of American citizens using AC. Just that “Oh it’s 45°C outside, guess I’ll pump up the conditioning and stop thinking about it” is not the way forward
If I didn’t have AC, my very old asbestos ridden apartment would be over 110° farenheit. That’s 43° Celsius. I guess Europeans don’t give a shit about the giant corporations though. They just expect us and our pets to die.
I agree it’s not a solution but a shitty band aid. Still, fighting with each other just let’s the nazi billionaires rob everyone on earth blind and they are causing so much more warming than regular citizens
Yep, and Americans answering with “we’re ok because we have AC” is a Don’t Look Up moment
I sure hope their electricity grid can handle it when everyone turns on the AC and data centers also start pulling extra because it’s so hot.
At least in my country (Netherlands) the neoliberals have decided every single fucking thing needs to turn a consistent profit and the company who handles the grid is only allowed to upgrade when there is “utility and necessity” which in essence means any time they want to upgrade in anticipation of future demand everyone involved drags their feet.
The result of that policy is that now there is a ridiculous waiting list for commercial grid connections and there are plans to also restrict new high capacity residential connections. For a country that has been run by businessmen for the past 20 years we sure seem to have an awful lack of long-term vision.
Don’t even get me started on the attitude that people here have towards A/C. We don’t live in a country that’s only hot for 1 week a year anymore but lots of ppl just won’t accept that. I guess it’s climate coping/denial combined with wanting to feel superior to Americans.
We will be cooked (literally)
EDIT: I just remembered that yesterday they unexpectedly had to cut power to 10000 homes for 14 minutes and it wasn’t even a hot day.
Business men are myopic and not strategic for 30 years into the future? I am so shocked! 🙀 😲
They optimized their profit, just not yours you gotta understand. I.e the money is not gone it’s just somewhere else.
It’s crazy to me because surely you would be extracting more wealth from working people (and raising the blessed holy statistic known as GDP) with a grid that actually works and can take on new customers. I know they’re evil but I guess they’re also just stupid.
Take my upvote. I too fail to see how “make something work well, get more money” isn’t the obvious default choice for businesses
Stuff like infrastructure should most of the time not be privatized and remain in state hands.
As a business you just need to outbid your opponent for the electric grid or whatever. Then you do the bare minimum to say you delivered within budget etc. People are sheep and won’t notice until they are sitting in the dark.
The company that had a realistic cost in their offer was probably not picked.
Which means whoever does the picking also doesn’t care about anything further away in time than “project declared done, money has been payed”. Time for me to take a break (been lamenting about these things for too long now)
Well thats why, why would they ? why would voters elect them
Lots of temporarily embarassed millionaires + red scare propaganda still carved into people’s minds
It’s definitely not ok, but when treating the root cause will take decades if not centuries (which we absolutely should still do), perhaps it makes sense to look into treating the symptoms as well
To my knowledge a lot of ACs can’t even operate at those temperatures, or only in a degraded fashion. The optimal maximum outside temperature of mine apparently is 35°C. After that the radiator can’t get rid of the heat fast enough to have the inside unit work at full capacity.
There are genius ways to build homes that get cooled down even without electricity. See the “earthship” design for example, routing fresh air through pipes in the ground where it cools down, going through the home as the hot air gets sucked out by a “thermal chimmey” (literally creates airflow by using the sun). If we combined that with good insulation to avoid the sun heating up walls and windows we’d have liveable temperatures inside even at 50°C outside. But western countries not even remotely progressive enough for such a radical but necessary structural shift, so even right now we keep building houses designed to trap heat.
Not to mention the care needed in designing and installing such a system so as to not make a mold factory.
Solar panels and air con are a good short-term solution for the symptoms
And by short-term I mean my whole life
That would make the oil lobby sad though
Why? Won’t they just get to sell more fossil fuels to meet the electricity demand while politicians endlessly drag their feet on cheaper, renewable alternatives?
EDIT: Oh you mean treating the root cause, yeah true
👍
There is no treatment for the root cause, lol either we continue to pump co2 into the atmosphere or we stop. Either way, temperature increase is locked in for roughly a century at this point. We lost the fight for a livable planet. The human extinction event continues
The problem is that treating the root cause is not profitable. So it will never happen. Ever.
where are these americans saying “we’re ok because we have AC”?
It’s been the defining sentiment to the story when discussed in the US. The GOP has taken to the rhetoric of comparing heat deaths in Europe to gun deaths in US, as in Europe is being far more irresponsible not installing AC than US is not controlling guns (their words).
All over the frontpage last week. https://lemmy.today/post/55740469
The truth is a lot (probably most) of Americans don’t have AC. It wasn’t really needed in most places until a few years ago. A lot of people rent and a lot of states don’t legally require AC in a rental. Because of that landlords refuse to install AC. If states started requiring it things would look a lot different.
Nearly every state mandates AC. I haven’t seen a home in the US without it in nearly thirty years.
I know the Northwest and Alaska are special but nearly every other home has it - according to the EIA, about 90% of them.
The only ones saying that are the ones thinking beach weather in the Chicago winter will somehow be a good thing.
They’re idiots.
No idea why that’s such a hot take by them. So many people have AC here. Houses, establishments, public areas, and increasing for obvious reasons.
AC here are nearly always split units though. Our windows don’t slide up, so harder to install that type of AC unit that sits on the sill.
The reason that “it’s ok we have AC” is a dumbass small brain take is that the “it” that is allegedly ok in this scenario is global warming. AC won’t save most of the planet from the consequences of our choices and actions.
You know what extreme heat can also cause? Blackouts.
And it happens all of the time because of the increased load on the grid from everyone cranking their AC.
Your AC is useless without power.
My house is fully off grid with a 36kW solar system and 86kWh battery setup. There are times where I can get down to the wire but ultimately that’s when it’s a prolonged rain /storm scenario.
The hotter it is the more likely the sun is shining, so I have zero concerns about a blackout situation. Realize this isn’t viable for most people but I sure am glad I took the plunge.
yeah, its the new form of climate denial
https://theconversation.com/the-new-climate-denial-using-wealth-to-insulate-yourself-from-discomfort-and-change-199101
Not this american. Ive been screaming my head off about how the machery our society runs on is all designed to run in a specific temperature range, and we are nearing the upper edge of that range now.
Most residential air conditioners can only manage a split of 30°F. That means if its 110 outside, your AC will struggle to keep the inside temp colder than 80°F. Sure, there are solutions for this. But they arent being implemented becsuse that is a problem for next quarter.
It was the same thing they did when they ridiculed Al Gore for using the term Global Warming “But it’s still cold when it’s winter” facepalm I have stopped believing educational stats and IQ tests from america to be true. It is so much worse than anyone thinks.
Yeah blame all Americans and not the giant fucking corporations accelerating this shit ten million times more than the regular American
That is not at all what they’re implying with this
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floquant @lemmy.dbzer0.com Yep, and Americans answering with “we’re ok because we have AC” is a Don’t Look Up moment
Did you see the movie? I get a feeling that you haven’t.
matthurtme directing the conversation towards blame is in and of itself a Don’t Look Up moment lol
No I’m just sick of the hate all Americans shit when we’re fighting for our lives against a fascist Nazi government that is brainwashing people to fight each other instead of the fucking president of don’t look up but as a male
I have and the movie is apt except I don’t remember a bunch of people lumping Harris voters in with literal Nazis just because we’re all in the United States. Which part of the movie was that again?
I’m done trying to convince you that no one is saying that and you’re just looking for an excuse to be offended bud. Bye
Ha ha ha go take your billionaire brainwashing hate all Americans bullshit with you on the way out stormtrooper
You say that as though corporations are fucking everything up for their own amusement, rather than in the service of making sure the “regular American” gets their luxuries for cheap.
Which luxuries? I agree that America is one of the biggest baddies when it comes to overconsumption, but fighting with each other just let’s the nazi billionaires rob us all blind
Who is fighting each other? No one’s saying that climate change is the fault of American citizens using AC. Just that “Oh it’s 45°C outside, guess I’ll pump up the conditioning and stop thinking about it” is not the way forward
floquant @lemmy.dbzer0.com Yep, and Americans answering with “we’re ok because we have AC” is a Don’t Look Up moment
What is? Please enlighten me. What is the solution when I’m baking in my apartment? Die?
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Thought so
If I didn’t have AC, my very old asbestos ridden apartment would be over 110° farenheit. That’s 43° Celsius. I guess Europeans don’t give a shit about the giant corporations though. They just expect us and our pets to die.
Uhm, ok. No one is saying that AC is useless. Just that it’s not a solution to our planet boiling.
Bro what
I agree it’s not a solution but a shitty band aid. Still, fighting with each other just let’s the nazi billionaires rob everyone on earth blind and they are causing so much more warming than regular citizens