A chat with my 8 year old niece about the air conditioner totally shifted my view

I was over at my sister's place in Denver last weekend, and it was a hot one. I had the AC cranked up in my car all day for deliveries. When I got inside, my niece asked why my face was so red. I joked that my car's AC was fighting a losing battle. She got really quiet and then said, 'Doesn't that make the outside even hotter for the birds?' She wasn't trying to be deep, she was just worried about the birds in her yard. It hit me that I never really connected my comfort directly to making things worse outside. I looked it up later and a single window unit can add like 500 pounds of carbon a year if you use it a lot. Now I'm trying to use my car's AC less and just roll the windows down on slower streets. Has anyone found a good way to beat the heat in your vehicle without blasting the cold air?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan49420d ago

Wait, so you're gonna sweat through your clothes because a kid felt bad for birds? Isn't the whole point of AC to not be miserable in summer?

perez.mia20d ago

Kid's got a point about everything being connected. My truck's AC is a gas hog, so I feel the hit in my wallet too. A little discomfort now might save bigger headaches later.