How air conditioning transformed our lives -Ekramul Islam Nayon

Imagine if we could control the weather—at the push of a button, the environment would be as hot or cold, humid or dry as we wanted. The impact on the environment can be huge. Because then there will be no more droughts or floods, no more heatwaves or ice jams. The desert will turn green. The crop will never perish. In fact, climate change has given rise to some wacky ideas to hack the climate. Such as spraying sulfuric acid into the upper atmosphere or dumping quicklime in the ocean. But the truth is that we are nowhere near controlling the weather outside. Since the invention of air conditioning, we have been able to control the weather inside, and this has had some far-reaching and unpredictable effects. Humans have been able to warm themselves in the winter since our ancestors discovered and mastered fire. But cooling down when it’s hot is more challenging. A mad Roman emperor named Elagabulus sent slaves to bring snow down from the mountains and pile it in his garden so that the wind would carry the icy, cold air in and cool the interior.

Problems that emerged from the beginning

Needless to say, until the 19th century, no major solutions to combat heat were introduced. However, Frederick Tudor, an entrepreneur from the state of Boston in the United States, did something in this case that suddenly opened his fortunes. He cut blocks of ice from frozen New England lakes in the winter and sprinkled sawdust around them for thermal insulation. These blocks of ice he used to send during the summer to warmer climates. Until the invention of artificial ice making, New England’s mild winters caused fears of ice famine.

As we know, the journey of the air conditioner started in 1902. But its invention had nothing to do with the luxury of human comfort. A printer named Sackett & Wilhelms Lithographing and Printing Company of New York was frustrated by the varying humidity levels in the air when trying to print with colored ink. The same paper had to be printed four times in four colors, and if the humidity changed during the print run, the paper would expand or contract slightly. Even a millimeter of discrepancy looked terrifying. In this situation, the printers asked the heating company Buffalo Forge to develop a system to control the humidity. At that time, a young engineer named Willis Carrier discovered that circulating air over coils cooled with compressed ammonia limited the humidity to 55 percent. Humidity no longer fluctuates. Printers were overjoyed at this discovery.

The benefits that give people’s lives a dimension

Buffalo Forge soon began selling this technology invented by Willis Carrier, especially where humidity caused problems for people. For example, the flour in the flour mill was spoiled by excess moisture, and the blades of the razors manufactured by the Gillette Corporation were rusted by excess moisture. The industry’s early clients didn’t care much about making factory temperatures more tolerable for their workers, but this humidity control technology made the environment cooler inside, which was a fringe benefit for those workers. But by 1906, Mr. Carrier examined the possibility of creating “comfortable” environments in public buildings such as theatres.

It was a very wise decision. Historically, theatres were often closed for the summer. Because the theatre is packed with people, but there are no windows. Before the invention of electricity, light was provided by flames. New England ice became popular, albeit for a short time.

In the summer of 1880, four tones of ice a day were required to keep the interior of New York’s Madison Square Garden theatre cool. An eight-foot fan would blow air through ducts across the ice towards the spectators. Unfortunately, the air was cool but still quite damp, and as pollution increased in New England lakes, the melting ice sometimes produced unpleasant odors. In this case, Willis Carrier’s “Weathermaker” was a much more effective solution. The number of movie theatres increased steadily in the 1920s. It was there that the common man experienced air conditioning for the first time. This air conditioner became a major factor in their ticket sales, just like the movies.

Technological revolution

Hollywood’s long-running streak of summer blockbusters began with Mr. Throughped’s career, much like starting a trade. But air conditioning becomes more than a mere convenience. It was transformative technology, to say the least, with a profound impact on where we live and how we live. Computers may not function properly if the weather is too hot or humid. But thanks to air conditioners, server farms providing Internet became active. In fact, if factories couldn’t control their air quality, we would have a hard time making silicon chips.

Air conditioning has also revolutionized the architecture industry. Historically, thick walls, high ceilings, balconies, courtyards, and windows faced the sun to keep the interior of buildings cool in hot climates. Dogtrot houses are popular for living in the American South. There are two rooms on either side under the same roof, with an open corridor in the middle for ventilation. That is, the view from one side of the corridor to the other side is visible.

Before the invention of air conditioning, building skyscrapers made of glass was unthinkable. Because without air conditioning, anyone on the upper floors of those buildings would have been scalded in the heat. Air conditioning also has a huge impact on the population of a region. It was hard to imagine the rise of hot cities like Dubai or Singapore without air conditioning.
During the second half of the 20th century, housing units were built across America to accommodate people, which spread rapidly. Also, the population of Americans in the Sun Belt, that is, from Florida to California in the hot southern region, has increased from 28 percent to 40 percent. The political balance of the region has also changed, especially as retired officers move from the north to the south.

Author Steven Johnson argues that Ronald Reagan was elected as a result of air conditioning. Reagan took office in 1980, a time when America used more than half of the world’s air conditioners. Since then, emerging economies have started to advance rapidly. China quickly became a world leader. In China’s cities, the proportion of homes with air conditioning has risen from one in 10 to over two-thirds in just 10 years.

Countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia saw double-digit growth in the air conditioner market. There is further scope for growth, as 11 of the world’s 30 largest cities are located in these hot zones. The massive expansion of the air conditioner market is good news for many reasons. Studies have shown that it reduces mortality during heat waves. Excessive heat makes prison inmates irritable. But after the installation of air conditioners, their fighting rate decreased. Which made the investment worthwhile.

When the temperature in the examination halls exceeds 21 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius, it is seen that students start getting lower marks in math exams. In the office, air conditioning makes us more productive. According to a preliminary study, US government typists were able to work 24 percent longer thanks to air conditioning. Economists have since confirmed that cold environments have a correlation with productivity.

The truth that should never be ignored

William Nordhaus divided the world into parts along lines of latitude and longitude and observed the climate, productivity, and population growth of each. He found that the higher the average temperature, the less productive people would be. According to Geoffrey Hill and Jisung Park, warmer than average temperatures in hot countries affect productivity. That year is considered bad for production. However, it is a good sign if it is hotter than the average temperature in a cold country. Finally, they say that human productivity is highest between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius.

But there is an uncomfortable or bitter truth. That is, you are heating the outside while cooling the inside. A study in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, found that hot air pumped from air conditioning units raised nighttime temperatures in the city by up to two degrees Celsius. In underground metro systems, heated platforms can become hotter as the trains are kept cool. The electricity that runs the air conditioners is generated by burning gas or coal. And the coolant that air conditioners use to cool homes contains many powerful greenhouse gases. As a result, the gases get mixed into the environment when they leak.

Air conditioning technology is becoming more environmentally friendly day by day. But the demand for these devices is growing so fast that the cost of electricity and energy has increased a lot. This is alarming news for climate change. Now the question is: can we ever invent something to control the weather outside?