Turn down the air

A NYT reporter recently wrote about the excessive coolness in some air conditioned buildings:

Cranking up the air-conditioning to that extent wastes energy and money and contributes to carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution in general.

But shopping mall operators in Hong Kong seem to have finally gotten the message, judging from this report in The Standard newspaper. Ninety malls have promised to raise indoor temperatures from 24 to 26 degrees Celsius — an increase of about 3.5 degrees in Fahrenheit terms, from 75.2 to nearly 78.8 degrees — starting in September to save energy.

In Hong Kong, as in many places in Asia, environmental awareness has not kept pace with rising wealth, experts say, and frigid indoor temperatures are widely considered fashionable.

It drives me nuts to walk into a place so cooled that extra clothing is required. It must be the same thing here: frigid = fashionable.

I generally turn the air on here at the Observer when it goes beyond 85, unless Kim is here and we decide it’s needed earlier. Humidity can make it worse. It’s not a great air conditioner. It’s been on all day today and it’s still 82, which really isn’t bad at all. It is summer, after all.