Cool Privilege | Frankly #36
Today in a brief and impromptu Frankly, which I recorded after 5 days of working with a broken office air conditioner, I was reminded of the discomforts and dangers being faced by those living in high heat regions - including the heat dome over the Southern U.S and growing ‘wet bulb temperature’ areas around the world. Air conditioners are a modern luxury not afforded to most humans - (and those that do use them are in turn part of a positive feedback loop to stay cooler while consuming more fossil energy). And yet as the climate gets hotter in decades to come, climate control may shift from a luxury to a necessity for many people to even survive in parts of Earth’s habitat. How will we respond in a future with less access to climate control and increasing periods of extreme heat? Can those of us with access to AC - at least as a first step - become more aware of the energy privileges we have? This is something that I am certainly noticing in my own life - but of course, you don't know what you've got until it's gone.
In case you missed it…
Last Friday, I created a Frankly from a more personal place, a short reflection on the things that bring me joy. Distinct from intermittent (and shallow) hits of dopamine from social media “Likes” or shopping or stock investing - joy is a deep, soul-enriching emotion. After listing these things (hint: there are ducks), I had a core realization: despite the accelerating polycrisis, all these things will likely still be available to us even without abundant cheap energy. This message - that after basic needs are met most of the best things in life are (nearly) free - is at the heart of the Great Simplification story and the message that I want to pass on to more humans.
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