Block Ice to the Rescue
I hope this post finds you well.
One of the effects of increasing emissions of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere is the temperature rise we are experiencing, i.e., summer, 2023. Years ago, the experts predicted there would be more hurricanes, that didn’t happen. They predicted the waters would rise many meters, don’t see it yet. However, they didn’t predict this, ocean surface water temperature rise. Just yesterday, 2023-07-20, the waters off the coast of southern Florida were just shy over 90°F.
Can you imagine waking up on a hot summer day at say 110°F, and saying, “Gee, let’s go to the beach and we can all jump into the water to cool off.” … NOT! … You’ve got to be kidding me, the water is 90° F. It must be surreal, wading into the ocean at over 90°F. Although, it’s 20°F degrees cooler than 110°F, so that’s some consolation. … Isn’t it.
A while back I was living in the southwest and during my first summer it reached 110°F. Fortunately, for only two days. “Dry heat”, they said. It was pretty brutal. Not much you can do, but sit it out. Since I was new to the area, I decided to ask some of my fellow co-workers what’s the best way to deal with it. In summary, they all had the same answer, “stay out of the sun”. One answer I received was when you open your car door after work, get in immediately and start the motor, then turn the AC on full, open all the windows, then close them after a few seconds. Once I opened the door and the heat literally billowed out the car door. I could actually see the heated air. Buy the way, the inside of your car gets even hotter that the outside. So, at 110°F, air temperature, inside of my car got up to 140°F. Why is this? You guessed it, the greenhouse effect. Look it up.
There are two things I remember the most about living in the southwest during the summer. The first is when turning on the cold water, warm water comes out and the second is when the air conditioner is out, your screwed. You will not get any sleep at night until it’s fixed.
Let’s face it, you need to start planning for the future. Humans will be humans, I assure you, your power grid will not be prepared for the coming hot days when air conditioner power demands sky rocket. The power will fail inevitably.
So, how to be prepared, you may say. … ICE … That’s right ice. … Before refrigeration we used ice. In the cities, not only was milk delivered, ice was too. Block ice, that is. Small ice cubes melt faster than block ice. Even when the temperature reaches the wet bulb temperature, which I hope you will never experience, block ice works.
Here are some photos showing how block ice was harvested and used over 100 years ago.
Block ice actually became an industry. The NewEnglanders delivered block ice to all corners of the globe, including Calcutta, India, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and the Caribbean islands. Block ice was also shipped to Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans.
I say all the cities in the world should invest in block ice production facilities. Enough for all, there should be ample storage facilities for long stretches of high heat summer days. Daily block ice delivery to citizens, homeless people, hospiltals and visiting tourist, will be what saves the cities inhabitants.
Below is some interesting information:
ChatGPT: How does the human body cool itself?
The human body regulates its temperature through a process called thermoregulation, which involves cooling itself when it gets too hot and warming up when it gets too cold. The primary mechanism the body uses to cool itself is through sweating and evaporation. Here’s how it works:
- Sweat production: When the body detects an increase in internal or external temperature, it stimulates sweat glands to produce sweat. Sweat is mostly composed of water, but it also contains small amounts of salts and other electrolytes.
- Evaporation: As sweat is released onto the skin’s surface, it helps to lower the body’s temperature through evaporation. When the sweat evaporates, it absorbs heat energy from the skin, taking it away from the body and cooling the skin and underlying blood vessels.
- Heat transfer: As blood flows near the skin’s surface, the cooled skin transfers some of its heat to the blood. This cooler blood then circulates back to the body’s core, helping to lower its overall temperature.
- Regulation by hypothalamus: The hypothalamus, a region in the brain, plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature. It acts as a thermostat, monitoring the body’s internal temperature and responding to changes by initiating appropriate mechanisms to cool down or warm up the body as needed.
Additionally, other mechanisms that aid in cooling the body include:
- Vasodilation: When the body needs to release heat, blood vessels near the skin’s surface widen (vasodilation). This increases blood flow to the skin, allowing more heat to be transferred from the body’s core to the skin’s surface, where it can be dissipated through sweating and radiation.
- Behavioral responses: Humans may instinctively seek cooler environments or shade, use fans or air conditioning, wear lighter clothing, or avoid physically exerting themselves in hot conditions to help maintain a comfortable body temperature.
Overall, this sophisticated thermoregulation system helps the human body maintain a stable core temperature despite changes in the external environment or physical activity levels.
Some things to worry about are the medications you take. So I asked ChatGPT: What chemicals and pharmaceuticals can effect the hypothalamus ability to regulate temperature?
The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature, and various chemicals and pharmaceuticals can influence its ability to perform this function. Some of these substances include:
- Antipyretics: Antipyretics are medications used to reduce fever by lowering body temperature. They work by affecting the hypothalamus’ temperature-regulating mechanisms, which are responsible for initiating fever in response to infections or illnesses. Common antipyretics include acetaminophen (paracetamol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen.
- Anesthetics: Anesthetics used during surgical procedures can impact the hypothalamus and affect its control over body temperature. Anesthesia-induced changes in the hypothalamus can contribute to alterations in body temperature during surgery.
- Opioids: Opioids are a class of drugs used for pain relief, but they can also have effects on the hypothalamus and temperature regulation. They can reduce the body’s ability to dissipate heat, potentially leading to hypothermia or other temperature-related imbalances.
- Psychotropic Medications: Certain psychotropic medications, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, may interfere with the hypothalamus’ temperature-regulating functions. These drugs can affect neurotransmitter activity in the brain and may lead to temperature dysregulation as a side effect.
- Hormones: Hormones produced by the hypothalamus, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), play a role in temperature regulation and other physiological processes. Changes in hormone levels due to medications or other factors can influence the hypothalamus’ ability to regulate body temperature.
- Certain Illnesses and Conditions: Various medical conditions and infections can affect the hypothalamus and its temperature control. For example, certain neurological disorders or infections that target the brain can disrupt hypothalamic functions, leading to temperature dysregulation.
- Vasodilators and Vasoconstrictors: Drugs that dilate or constrict blood vessels can indirectly influence the hypothalamus’ temperature regulation by affecting blood flow near the skin’s surface. Vasodilators can increase heat dissipation, while vasoconstrictors can reduce it.
It’s important to note that the effects of these chemicals and pharmaceuticals on the hypothalamus can vary depending on individual factors, dosage, and interactions with other medications. Medications that affect temperature regulation should be used under the guidance and supervision of qualified healthcare professionals to minimize the risk of adverse effects.
So please, invest in ways to store block ice in your home. This is whats going to save you, when all else fails.
Note: Air conditioning was invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier. Although it wasn’t available to the masses until the late 1950’s. My dad, born in Pensacola, FL in 1934, never had air conditioning when he was growing up. I remember he told me how they would force air from a fan over their bed sheets, and while they were sweating, the sheets would wick-up the sweat and the moving air would cause the sweat to evaporate from the sheet. It was the cooled cotton sheet that cooled your body and would allow you to get some sleep.
Also, If you own a house, window awnings greatly reduce sunlight from entering your house, keeping it a little cooler.
My last statement, I borrow this saying from “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin. Of course, with a twist.
“Summer is Coming”