The Irony of Refrigeration
Isn’t it odd that when we pay gas and electric bills we are simultaneously paying to heat our domiciles and to cool the food that is in our refrigerators inside our toasty domiciles?
In his recent biography, Fidel Castro calculates the number of days he has saved in the course of his life by not shaving. How much energy could be saved if we replaced our fridges with some sort of passive refrigeration unit that took advantage of the as-yet plentiful arctic air that just this morning was blowing straight through my Khakis at the bus stop? And irony of ironies: refrigeration contributes to global warming. Taking advantage of existing cold would work towards preventing global warming.
My friends Chris and Caroline had just such a nifty device in their old apartment–a compartment in the wall of their kitchen opened to the outside. You could put your beer or icecube trays in there and get them nice and cold. Couldn’t you take this idea a step further and, using modern electronics, have an in-wall fridge that, when outdoor coldness availed itself, took advantage of the situation? Just a thought. And I’m seriously considering quitting shaving like Fidel.
Tags: beer, refrigeration
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March 16, 2008 at 1:03 am
Fidel has a point, but it is overly extreme. Shaving just once a week works almost as well, and helps prevent the growth of other vegetation besides human hair. Think of the seriousness of the situation if an oak seedling were to take root in one’s chin. How would you get it out? Surgery? Tree surgery? Agent orange?? Best shave once a week, and avoid such nightmares.
Dad.