Do you remember the beginning of the movie Pulp Fiction, when John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson talk about "those little differences" between the US and Europe? I don't know about the rest of Europe, but I was recently reminded about a difference between the US and Italy: we don't use air conditioning to freeze in our homes, public transportation and stores; we use it to reduce the heat. Basically we do use it, but not as often and not as extreme as used here. I know: here the humidity is higher. But the sudden drop of 30 degrees can't do your system any good. You feel relieved, but how many of us come down with colds in this season?
A few days ago the weather was surprisingly good for an early August morning in NYC. It felt like spring: it was 76 degrees and a nice breeze was coming through my opened window. From it was also coming the annoying noise of my neighbor's AC, blasting as usual from June to September 24/7, regardless of the weather outside.
I'm sure that in the US there are plenty of people switching off their units when leaving the apartment or when the temperature is not terribly hot, but there are still many of them carelessly wasting away energy and ozone. I would logically expect that in the winter people like you, dear neighbor, would gladly endure the same cold temperatures in their apartments, but no: in the winter we get home and take off everything to remain in our t-shirts. How natural is that? Why do I have to bring an extra sweater to ride the subway in the summer, while in the winter I practically don't use wool anymore since the only thing I need is a very heavy jacket that I get on or off when I get out or in?
For this delicate matter, where the line between comfort and waste blurs, we can learn from the Romans who, besides execrable contributions like crucifixions and Sulla, also brought us the great poet Horace, who wrote, "Est Modus In Rebus" (there is a measure in everything). I believe he didn't mean an excessive measure. If environment issues and the electric bill don't convince you to embrace moderation, maybe the Romans will. There should be a measure in things (also things like SVU, McDonald's, TV, sun exposure etc.).
But let's get back to the AC, dear neighbor. I know that air conditioning is like cell-phones, Internet and laptops: we can't imagine how people lived without it. And I don't want to regress to the times of the Romans, I'm not suggesting to get rid of it all together, but can we find a nice modus in rebus? Can we live that aurea mediocritas, that golden middle ground the Latin poet talked about? I know that, if you are used to this kind of strange routine of freezing in the summer and sweating in the winter, it's hard to go back to the times of our great-grandparents. But let me give you a few tips from the other side of the ocean: first of all know that summer is hot, that's nature. You will sweat. You can wear natural fabrics (like cotton, linen or silk), the synthetic ones make you hotter and sweaty; drink plenty of water and fruit juices; and learn the cunning use of fans (both electric and manual, the ones you can carry with you on the streets like the Japanese do). And think about this: if Italians (some of the most hedonistic people on the planet) can make it through the summer with a reduced use of air-conditioning, so can you!