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^^This is a joke, right? I could go into detail, but I don't think it's necessary. Just... wow.
Yes, you can live in the South without A/C, it can be done, and you surely can live in the South without Heat, given the mild winters. The Native Americans have done it for centuries, as did the citizens for various Southern cities before the invention of A/C and Heat. North India and China have climates similar to the South, and the people in those places get by just fine without A/C and Heat.
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Originally Posted by denverian
I've been to Hawaii many times and love the climate. It's humid, but not like "Florida humid".
I prefer Coastal SoCal because you get a "sort of" winter. Just cool enough that you can wear a jacket in the evenings and you get a different feeling from summer, but still warm enough that it stays green all winter and tropical vegetation grows there.
This is true; tropical vegetation grows prominently in Southern California, something large portions of the South can't even replicate, due to risk of very cold winter days. The Coastal Portion of the South, however, beats Southern California in that department; it has not only the winters mild enough for such vegetation to survive, it also has the heat, humidity, and rainfall necessary for such plants to thrive. For example, the Coconut Palm can grow quite tall in the Florida Peninsula, as well as in Texas Barrier Islands, but it will be very stunted in Southern California(like the Newport Coconut), due to the fact that both the Florida Peninsula, and the Texas Barrier Islands have tropical-style summers go along with their mild winters, while SoCal summers are quite mild, and dry in comparison.
Yes, you can live in the South without A/C, it can be done, and you surely can live in the South without Heat, given the mild winters. The Native Americans have done it for centuries, as did the citizens for various Southern cities before the invention of A/C and Heat. North India and China have climates similar to the South, and the people in those places get by just fine without A/C and Heat.
Ok then. You give it a go, since it's so doable. Go a couple of years on the gulf coast without a/c, and let us know how that works out for you. And let us know how it works out in the winter with no heat, when one of those polar blasts makes it's way down there for a few days like it has the last few winters.
And I'm sure most Southerners in the year 2014 are just thrilled at the idea of returning to the "golden age" of no air-conditioning. You ever notice there were no big cities in the South before a/c, and then a massive population boom after a/c?
Love the part about Northern India and China though. Really makes a convincing argument for living without a/c.
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Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA
For example, the Coconut Palm can grow quite tall in the Florida Peninsula, as well as in Texas Barrier Islands
Coconut palms do not grow anywhere in Texas. Not even at the Southernmost tip or anywhere on the barrier islands. You might get one to live through a couple of milder winters, but eventually a freeze is going to make it's way down there and kill it. And all it takes is about an hour of freezing temps to do it. The only place in the continental U.S. that coconut palms can survive is South Florida.
Last edited by Bobloblawslawblog; 08-21-2014 at 12:12 AM..
I've lived here my whole life and I remember what it was like living without a/c. Not fun!
Agreed. Seven years on the Gulf Coast and AC is definitely needed unless you think a sheen of sweat is an attractive look for the summer, especially at work! Winters are usually quite mild, but they aren't exactly a tropical paradise either, plenty of wet chilly days too.
Ok then. You give it a go, since it's so doable. Go a couple of years on the gulf coast without a/c, and let us know how that works out for you. And let us know how it works out in the winter with no heat, when one of those polar blasts makes it's way down there for a few days like it has the last few winters.
And I'm sure most Southerners in the year 2014 are just thrilled at the idea of returning to the "golden age" of no air-conditioning. You ever notice there were no big cities in the South before a/c, and then a massive population boom after a/c?
Love the part about Northern India and China though. Really makes a convincing argument for living without a/c.
Its doable alright; I spoke with many locals during my travels to the Coastal South who lived quite comfortably without A/C during the summer, or Heat during winter. As long as you have those massive subtropical evergreen trees, like live oaks, for shade, and set your house in a way that channels the nice sea-breezes in from the Gulf/South Atlantic, you will be quite comfortable during summer without A/C in the Coastal South. Consider the fact that summer skies in the Coastal South are always accompanied by puffy clouds that can pass over the sun, offering relief. Also, frequent thunderstorms over the region bring gusts and rain that cool down the air to comfortable levels. As for Heat in the winter, the Coastal South rarely stays cold for long enough that Heat becomes an absolute necessity. When freezes do occur in the Coastal South, the duration is usually only for a couple hours, during the wee hours of the day, before the temps rebound up to the 60s, even 70s later in the afternoon, and that is considering the fact that in a typical winter, freezes rarely happen in the Coastal South. Yes, from time to time, winter weather events, like this past one, can happen in the Coastal South, just like they can in every other subtropical region on Earth. But like in the other subtropical regions, such events are infrequent in the Coastal South, and generations can pass before such events ever happen again.
Even if there was no A/C, the South still could have boomed. Large empires, cities, etc, existed in other regions of the Earth with similar climates, such as China and India throughout history, and today, some of the largest cities on Earth can be found in those countries, all without A/C involved. It can be done.
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Originally Posted by Bobloblawslawblog
Coconut palms do not grow anywhere in Texas. Not even at the Southernmost tip or anywhere on the barrier islands.You might get one to live through a couple of milder winters, but eventually a freeze is going to make it's way down there and kill it. And all it takes is about an hour of freezing temps to do it. The only place in the continental U.S. that coconut palms can survive is South Florida.
False. While South Florida is indeed the place in the CONUS where Coconut Palms have the best chances for survival, and grow most profusely, they also grow in Central Florida, in locations like Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Vero Beach, and they do grow in Texas on the coast/barrier islands, especially South Padre Island. They grow quite tall in both regions, and are healthy enough to the point that they fruit. Coconut Palms can actually survive freezing conditions, just as long as the temps warm up quickly. Thats how the Coconut Palms in South Texas survived the cold years of 2004 when it snowed, and 2011; after the relatively brief cold, temps quickly rebounded up to spring-like levels, to the 70s. And there is also the long, hot and humid summers that allow for recovery. The same also applies for the Central Florida locations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DubbleT
Agreed. Seven years on the Gulf Coast and AC is definitely needed unless you think a sheen of sweat is an attractive look for the summer, especially at work! Winters are usually quite mild, but they aren't exactly a tropical paradise either, plenty of wet chilly days too.
Living on the Gulf Coast without A/C is doable. This isn't the Desert Southwest, where temps easily reach triple digits, and the sky is cloudless over a barren landscape; in the Coastal South, you got lots of huge subtropical trees and flora, such as live oaks, which provide shade, and with all the moisture, partly cloudy skies are common, with nice fluffy clouds which pass over the sun, bringing relief. Frequent thunderstorms cool the air with gusts and rain, and nights are pleasant, even with the increased humidity. Cold is infrequent in the Coastal South, and neither occurs nor lasts long enough to necessitate the use of Heat; the vast majority of winter days in much of the Coastal South have the temps at 60s-70s for highs, and 40s-50s for lows. The climate of the Coastal South is similar to that of Northern India and China, and they don't use Heat or A/C in those countries.
People got by without AC in the past because they didn't need it as much as we do today. If you think you'll be able to keep several TVs, PCs, and numerous other electrical appliances in a Deep South home with no air conditioning then you're kidding yourself.
Yn0h I appreciate your admiration for southern weather but I think you're a bit out of touch with reality. The fact of the matter is that AC exists for a reason, and cities like Houston would not be the industry hubs they are today without it.
IMO SoCal is rather dry and arid looking. It just doesn't cut it. There's barely any native green grass, no dense deciduous forests, etc. That's why many new suburban developments have to plant all sorts of green trees and fake lawns in order to make everything look like the east coast as much as possible. I mean, it's a beautiful place, but I don't think I'd be too happy with the brown/drab appearance for the long term. I'd be CLAMORING for true greenery. Granted, the east coast looks like crap for half of the year, with nothing but leafless trees. But it's worth waiting for the summer.
IMO, the best possible season/climate/scenery period in the U.S would be upstate NY in the summer. 80's, sunny and dry with full greenery and some mountains. No need for AC ever. Hawaii sounds good too though.
I lived in an older part of Orange County where the trees were mature, so it was quite green year-round. I'm not one to "turn off the paved road", so I'm not very concerned with what's going on out there in the "natural areas" lol! Same thing here in Denver. It can dry out in summer, but if you're in the city, you don't notice because everything is irrigated.
Yes, you can live in the South without A/C, it can be done, and you surely can live in the South without Heat, given the mild winters. The Native Americans have done it for centuries, as did the citizens for various Southern cities before the invention of A/C and Heat. North India and China have climates similar to the South, and the people in those places get by just fine without A/C and Heat.
This is true; tropical vegetation grows prominently in Southern California, something large portions of the South can't even replicate, due to risk of very cold winter days. The Coastal Portion of the South, however, beats Southern California in that department; it has not only the winters mild enough for such vegetation to survive, it also has the heat, humidity, and rainfall necessary for such plants to thrive. For example, the Coconut Palm can grow quite tall in the Florida Peninsula, as well as in Texas Barrier Islands, but it will be very stunted in Southern California(like the Newport Coconut), due to the fact that both the Florida Peninsula, and the Texas Barrier Islands have tropical-style summers go along with their mild winters, while SoCal summers are quite mild, and dry in comparison.
I've seen the one Coconut palm in Newport Beach. I wish they'd grow will in southern California, but luckily, there are so many other palms that grow there. I always thought the King Palm was about the closest to looking like a Coconut And I prefer the drier, cooler summers in SoCal over the steambath of the gulf and Florida. Yuk!
False. While South Florida is indeed the place in the CONUS where Coconut Palms have the best chances for survival, and grow most profusely, they also grow in Central Florida, in locations like Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Vero Beach, and they do grow in Texas on the coast/barrier islands, especially South Padre Island. They grow quite tall in both regions, and are healthy enough to the point that they fruit. Coconut Palms can actually survive freezing conditions, just as long as the temps warm up quickly. Thats how the Coconut Palms in South Texas survived the cold years of 2004 when it snowed, and 2011; after the relatively brief cold, temps quickly rebounded up to spring-like levels, to the 70s. And there is also the long, hot and humid summers that allow for recovery. The same also applies for the Central Florida locations.
I'd say False on S. Padre Island. I just did a little research and googlemapping. Just cruising around S. Padre Island, I didn't see a single Coconut palm. I did find one on some gardening website at about this address: 106-108 E. Red Snapper St., SPI,TX, 78597 (if you care to googlemap it) and there is indeed a Coconut palm there. It looks rather sickly in the 2011 view. When I went back to the 2007 view, it looked pretty good, but was obviously recovering from a freeze by 2011. After last winter, I'd bet it suffered more damage. You'd think Coconut palms would thrive here (compared to the same lattitude in Florida, which is in the Miami area), but there isn't anything blocking that nasty Arctic air from getting to far S. Texas some winters. Same reason why San Antonio doesn't have many palm trees. It's about the same lattitude as Orlando, but can get down into the teens every few winters.
I'd say False on S. Padre Island. I just did a little research and googlemapping. Just cruising around S. Padre Island, I didn't see a single Coconut palm. I did find one on some gardening website at about this address: 106-108 E. Red Snapper St., SPI,TX, 78597 (if you care to googlemap it) and there is indeed a Coconut palm there. It looks rather sickly in the 2011 view. When I went back to the 2007 view, it looked pretty good, but was obviously recovering from a freeze by 2011. After last winter, I'd bet it suffered more damage. You'd think Coconut palms would thrive here (compared to the same lattitude in Florida, which is in the Miami area), but there isn't anything blocking that nasty Arctic air from getting to far S. Texas some winters. Same reason why San Antonio doesn't have many palm trees. It's about the same lattitude as Orlando, but can get down into the teens every few winters.
Exactly. The reason South Florida doesn't get the cold blasts that the RGV-South Padre gets, is because Florida is a huge peninsula sticking well out into and surrounded by some of the warmest ocean currents on the planet. The same currents that travel up the Atlantic and allow parts of Western Europe to have palm trees and Citrus trees, even though they're as far North as upstate NY. The ocean regulates climate, therefore Florida is going to have consistently warmer winter weather than extreme South TX.
Texas is different because it's only coastal on one side, and part of the proper continental mainland. Add to that it's centrally located on the North American continent, and subject to the Southern dips that the jet stream takes across the Great Plains in winter, which is what brings those little Arctic blasts as far South as Mexico sometimes.
Like I said, YnOh... you can plant a coconut palm in S. Padre, and it might live for a couple of years, but eventually one of those "Blue Northers" is going to blast it's way down there and severely maim it, if not just kill it altogether. The idea that the beaches of South Texas are lined with tall, healthy, fruit-bearing coconut palms sounds more like a pipe-dream to me. There are plenty of other kinds of Palm trees that do well all along the Gulf coast, but coconut palms are not one of them.
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