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You tell me if you'd like to live in Fla without AC for a couple of months in the summer. I guarantee by the second week (or less) you'd be looking to get to somewhere cooler.
I did it for many years. It just depends on where you live in Florida. I lived in Brevard County in a house that did not have heat or air. The yard was large, close to the river, and had shade trees. We had a pool in the side yard, screen porch on back and front of the house so the doors could stay open and let breeze flow through house. We put the square window fans in windows either blowing cool air in over the water of the pool or out on the other side of the house. We were an outside type family anyway so spent a lot of time at the beach etc. Sometimes at night in the summer the house got so cool, the fans had to be turned off. Staying warm in the winter was the hard part. Our house had hardwood floors that were cold. Using space heaters was very expensive and you had to worry about if they were too close to anything that could catch fire. As soon as the sun came up and started shining in the windows you opened the blinds and sometimes opened the windows to let the warmed air from outside come into the cool house. Usually by 10 AM you were good to go. LOL That was 35 years ago, but talk about a fun time to be living in Florida! We were one of the 19000 people living in our town which has over 100,000 people living in it now.
I did it for many years. It just depends on where you live in Florida. I lived in Brevard County in a house that did not have heat or air. The yard was large, close to the river, and had shade trees. We had a pool in the side yard, screen porch on back and front of the house so the doors could stay open and let breeze flow through house. We put the square window fans in windows either blowing cool air in over the water of the pool or out on the other side of the house. We were an outside type family anyway so spent a lot of time at the beach etc. Sometimes at night in the summer the house got so cool, the fans had to be turned off. Staying warm in the winter was the hard part. Our house had hardwood floors that were cold. Using space heaters was very expensive and you had to worry about if they were too close to anything that could catch fire. As soon as the sun came up and started shining in the windows you opened the blinds and sometimes opened the windows to let the warmed air from outside come into the cool house. Usually by 10 AM you were good to go. LOL That was 35 years ago, but talk about a fun time to be living in Florida! We were one of the 19000 people living in our town which has over 100,000 people living in it now.
This is a great anecdote, I really enjoyed reading it. Here's the thing: you were living WITH Florida, most people live IN Florida, and they live in homes not suited to the weather/climate. Basically they live in utility company profit delivery units.
The older homes in Florida used to be built in such a way as to capitalize on the flow from prevailing winds. I've heard that Gainesville has some of the best, if they're still around. Because the town was deliberately laid out to take advantage of the prevailing winds. Back in the day. Indeed, I've read stories in our local weekly paper of old Florida, and one lady wrote that they used to sleep on sleeping porches and even in the dead of summer, they sometimes needed a blanket.
Florida would be survivable in the summer if people knew how to deal with it, but the way things are now, with so many more people and development and such, I think there would only be small pockets such as you have described where it would be possible.
P.S. I know what you mean about cold wood floors. I'm assuming your house was elevated, that there was a crawl space underneath. That's usually what makes it cold. However, those old crawl spaces are also what helps keep a house cool in the summer.
This is a great anecdote, I really enjoyed reading it. Here's the thing: you were living WITH Florida, most people live IN Florida, and they live in homes not suited to the weather/climate. Basically they live in utility company profit delivery units.
The older homes in Florida used to be built in such a way as to capitalize on the flow from prevailing winds. I've heard that Gainesville has some of the best, if they're still around. Because the town was deliberately laid out to take advantage of the prevailing winds. Back in the day. Indeed, I've read stories in our local weekly paper of old Florida, and one lady wrote that they used to sleep on sleeping porches and even in the dead of summer, they sometimes needed a blanket.
Florida would be survivable in the summer if people knew how to deal with it, but the way things are now, with so many more people and development and such, I think there would only be small pockets such as you have described where it would be possible.
P.S. I know what you mean about cold wood floors. I'm assuming your house was elevated, that there was a crawl space underneath. That's usually what makes it cold. However, those old crawl spaces are also what helps keep a house cool in the summer.
Plus 35 years ago Americans weren't so incredibly obese, they took exercise and were fitter and had bodies more suitable to the extreme temperatures.
It's like if you compare the Caribbean to places like SE Asia. People in the Caribbean, especially black, are huge and seems to live on a diet of fried chicken, full-fat soda and sticky cakes. They have trouble moving around and live on Caribbean time which is a euphamsim for " too lazy to get up off my fat backside to do anything now. "
In SE Asia the people are skinny, they eat a great diet of rice,fruit vegetables and lean meat and their days are a hive of activity because if they don't work they don't eat.
If you've ever been in Thailand and seen the look of amazement on the local people's faces at just how much food the Yankee tourists put on their plates you'd understand.
Eat less,move more.
Four words to help you deal with Florida.
World rank: Thailand - 76 (Doesn't seem to make a difference in life expectancy), US - 35
1. I did my 20th marathon last year.
2. Thailand, in case you hadn't noticed, is still a relatively poor country compared to America.You would expect life expectancy to be much lower.
3. My post about obesity was in response to Rabflmom' s excellent post about living in Florida 35 years ago. Obesity is the biggest single health problem facing America today and lugging around 300lbs of fat is going to impact on anyone living in Florida during the heat of the summer.The fact that 35 years ago every other person wasn't obese means they could cope with heat much better.Like the poster said it's about living with Florida not in Florida.
Personally, I think it's better to be in the middle, than on either extreme, but being skinny is definitely not healthy either. In looking at the link I posted, it shows stroke, heart disease, diabetes and lung disease to be the top 4 causes of death in Thailand (same as in the US). I also think it's a world wide phenomenon (1.4. billion people are obese worldwide). Look it up.
Skinny or overweight, in a few months, we'll all be sweatin' like a Coke bottle at an August barbecue. Miami style crank windows and huge sliding doors worked better when there were no houses in close proximity. Now everything's built up, so the wind does not circulate as much.
Personally, I think it's better to be in the middle, than on either extreme, but being skinny is definitely not healthy either. In looking at the link I posted, it shows stroke, heart disease, diabetes and lung disease to be the top 4 causes of death in Thailand (same as in the US). I also think it's a world wide phenomenon (1.4. billion people are obese worldwide). Look it up.
Skinny or overweight, in a few months, we'll all be sweatin' like a Coke bottle at an August barbecue. Miami style crank windows and huge sliding doors worked better when there were no houses in close proximity. Now everything's built up, so the wind does not circulate as much.
Of course obesity is a world-wide problem but America leads it and the Southern States lead America.
The problem with being obese is that extreme hot and humid weather makes it even more difficult to move around than it normally is which is pretty difficult anyway.
Obesity is not only caused by a sedentary lifestyle it leads to it.
The original point being made in the post was that 35 years ago people didn't rely on A/C so much and part of the reason for that is they got out and about and learned to live with the Florida weather in much the same way as the majority of people in SE Asia live and work without A/C today.
I don't agree with your proposition about air not circulating becaue of more housing. My A/C is never on during the day during the summer - the house is cooled by through breezes and shade. It is perfectly okay to live in although I do have A/C in the evening when I'm watching TV and the bugs are about.
I did it for many years. It just depends on where you live in Florida. I lived in Brevard County in a house that did not have heat or air. The yard was large, close to the river, and had shade trees. We had a pool in the side yard, screen porch on back and front of the house so the doors could stay open and let breeze flow through house. We put the square window fans in windows either blowing cool air in over the water of the pool or out on the other side of the house. We were an outside type family anyway so spent a lot of time at the beach etc. Sometimes at night in the summer the house got so cool, the fans had to be turned off. Staying warm in the winter was the hard part. Our house had hardwood floors that were cold. Using space heaters was very expensive and you had to worry about if they were too close to anything that could catch fire. As soon as the sun came up and started shining in the windows you opened the blinds and sometimes opened the windows to let the warmed air from outside come into the cool house. Usually by 10 AM you were good to go. LOL That was 35 years ago, but talk about a fun time to be living in Florida! We were one of the 19000 people living in our town which has over 100,000 people living in it now.
Its funny how on these forums everyone has "done it all" yet you never meet people like this in real life
There is a reason population didnt explode in Florida until after air conditioning became affordable. I was born in Latin America in a tropical climate we didnt have a/c or heating and it never bother me when i was a little kid, when I go back I am dying of heat exhaustion just sitting down, its what you are use to, if you dont know any better you condition yourself to live with the heat, but why my a/c runs year round.
Of course obesity is a world-wide problem but America leads it and the Southern States lead America.
The problem with being obese is that extreme hot and humid weather makes it even more difficult to move around than it normally is which is pretty difficult anyway.
Obesity is not only caused by a sedentary lifestyle it leads to it.
The original point being made in the post was that 35 years ago people didn't rely on A/C so much and part of the reason for that is they got out and about and learned to live with the Florida weather in much the same way as the majority of people in SE Asia live and work without A/C today.
I don't agree with your proposition about air not circulating becaue of more housing. My A/C is never on during the day during the summer - the house is cooled by through breezes and shade. It is perfectly okay to live in although I do have A/C in the evening when I'm watching TV and the bugs are about.
You should become an advocate against obesity. You sound like it's a crime or something.
People don't mean to become obese. In many cases it's hereditary or a combination of eating the wrong food, which nowadays is everywhere(full or preservatives/additives etc..) and not burning more than they put in due to the lifestyle (i.e. working in offices, not having enough time to exercise after work etc..) It's easy to point fingers, harder to resolve the issue.
If your house is in the shade/close to the beach, it is possible to live without A/C. Not sure if it can be done inland though(at least not from June to September) and that would have nothing to do with whether people are overweight or not. I know this guy who is almost 'skin and bones' and complains about the heat as much as anyone else.
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