The article I posted about yesterday in Read about me in today’s NY Post: “No AC? No sweat! Meet the New Yorkers sweltering through summer — by choice” has been up less than 24 hours, but it’s trending enough to get a big picture on the front page, though featuring the other two people profiled. I guess I wasn’t as photogenic.
I included the scroll bar in the image below to show that while it earned a big picture, it wasn’t near the top. Still it got plenty of comments, which showed trends typical of comments, though the Post tends to conservative politically and aggressive, which I enjoy.
Let’s start with the unsupportive comments
Here are two common responses that liberal and progressive environmentalists have earned: “The eco-guy’s virtue signaling aside…” and “Virtue signaling Idiots.” I can’t speak for the other two people profiled, but people who know me knows that I increasingly disdain the people these commenters suspect I would virtue signal to.
I ask people all the time to name an environmentalist who is even trying to reduce their pollution or depletion. None do. Environmentalists earned the accusation of virtue signaling, part of the reason I clarify that I am not one.
Conservatives like to attack masculinity: “I’m guessing Josh hasn’t had a partner in a while“, followed soon by “Just his OnlyFans account.“
If I were to respond to them in their language, I’d say something like “Did your wife’s boyfriend suggest you post that?” since they use that line too.
But responding directly would miss the point. I’m sure people will misread what I’m about to write, so I’ll do my best to keep it simple without extrapolating.
I agree with these commenters to the extent that they are saying that, all else being equal, for a man to pollute and deplete less reduces the fraction of women who would date him. As one illustration, find me an online profile of a woman saying she prefers not to fly and is attracted to men who don’t fly either. I’ll find you a hundred that say they love to fly and want to fly more, maybe a thousand.
By contrast, think of the men with leadership roles or authority in industries that pollute or deplete, or politicians. Or athletes, musicians, etc who fly a lot. How many of them are single?
Environmentalists don’t acknowledge that reducing polluting and depleting hurts men’s appeal to women. Maybe it happens the other way. I don’t know. I can’t speak for women or men who are attracted to men, etc.
As an aside, what I just wrote seems to prompt people to respond that they’re out there or the match will be better as a result. I’d probably want to respond that way if someone said it to me. I think those responses are for the speaker, not the listener.
As another aside, their guesses are wrong.
More ad hominem: “The guy who cut off his ConEd and takes the stairs, despite there being an elevator in his building–performative ‘climate change’ believer. I know if I ever met him in real life, I”d run like hell. Grizzly Adams meets Gramercy.“
Environmentalists constantly say conservatives don’t care. I bet many of them use air conditioning more than this responder: “It just makes it harder when you do go out into the heat. A couple times during a heat wave I’ll put it on when I get home, blast the apt. then leave overhead fans on. I’ll take the heat over the cold any day.“
Why call out this responder? Because the user name of this person who likely pollutes and depletes less through air conditioning than most environmentalists in similar climates is “Trump Right, AGAIN😁”
These comments look ad hominem, but they illustrate a point I often make. Polluting and depleting less aren’t what’s hard, contrasting with culture is. In this regard, people who say individual action doesn’t matter and comply with culture against their own values contribute to the problems they say they want to solve: “Are there any normal people left in New York City?” and “Blue voters being just that. Why would anyone… ah nevermind. Everything they do is donkey backwards“.
Support!
Despite all the ad hominem attacks, many commenters supported less a/c or enjoyed it themselves:
“Have lived in Europe for years. We don’t have A/C here. Open the windows and get a fan ! A/C is not good for your ears, sinuses, and lungs.”
“I have not used AC in years. If things get ‘bad,’ a value judgment I don’t accept, if things get let’s say overly hot, I have a fan or two. No big deal. Be in touch with the seasons. That’s how humans developed.”
“I don’t have an AC either. I’m concerned about Toxic Fumes emitted by an AC + I only have one window upstairs & sometimes, if there’s nothing toxic outside, I can let the upstairs air out with cool air. The typical Window AC design has not been updated for thousands of years”
“AC causes Legionnaires Disease. I haven’t turned my central air on in two years. I like my fans at home, and my office is always freezing.”
“Before the 90s, AC was considered a luxury, not a necessity. Most cars didn’t have it.”
An early one: “Okay. I’m still setting my a.c. at 64 and it’s on any time i am in my house from June-September.” followed by “Me to.”, then “64? I thought mine was low at 72.”
I’ll close this post with a screen shot of just the real estate section, where the story is the headline. I don’t think I ever expected to feature in that section, but glad to find myself there.
The AC is a tough one. As a menopausal woman of almost-56, I have difficulty sleeping when it’s too hot. However, I do not set the AC to 64 or even 72. That’s nuts. I prefer using a fan most times, and wearing tank tops. The AC at the office is so cold that I end up wearing a sweatshirt.
We had relatives from Denmark visiting many years ago, and they refused to eat inside of any restaurant because of the AC. It was summer, and it was 75-80F outside, and they wanted to be outside!
I can’t speak to the experience of being menopausal, but I can to growing to dislike what now feels like too much air conditioning, though I used to find it comfortable. I find the amount of air conditioning and people’s dependence on it illustrates not comfort, convenience, or health but fragility and entitlement.