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I like winter for many reasons. I live in a congested area of NJ and can't wait for winter to arrive. The cold crisp air is wonderful in the morning when I go out to work at 6am. The streets are lonely and I'm comfy in my coat and gloves. I love snowstorms when it's under a foot. Anything under that becomes worse to park and walk. I also enjoy winter because I see less people. Everyone keeps their car and home windows closed so I don't have to hear their stupid music. The city looks cleaner when it's under a blanket of snow and the air smells fresh.
Summer in this area is terrible. People out everywhere getting in my way and crowding the parks and green areas. People sitting on stoops wearing their barely there outfits and sweating like pigs as I see them wipe it on the banisters. Various smells wafting up into the air with a blend of cigarettes, sweat, and body odor.
I LOVE Winter however I live in New Orleans. Its so hot outside you think you're going to die if you spend more than 5 minutes in the sunlight.
100% humidity, heat...ugh.
I'm moving to Scotland in a year and I can't wait. Cold weather here I come!
Yes especially in the historical context. As a part of my admittance to Uni, I wrote an essay on why the African continent became so underdeveloped comparing to the others. One main factor I found was the climate and geography. Some points I still remember, and a couple of thoughts after that:
- A subtropical highland/savanna climate is very unreliable for crop yield, as the wet and dry seasons vary from year to year. A temperate climate is much more reliable to support a growing population and help the societies to develop more easier without fear of extinction. The time frame of climate change is much more slower in higher latitudes and enable more time to adapt. Examples: the decline of the Olmec civilization.
- The unreliable rain pattern will result in more steppe/savanna climates which are both more prone to human caused erosion, pastural erosion and resulting in a mineral-poorer soil, which in time of crisis tend to fuel social unrest much more severe than in temperate latitudes. The ancient Egyptian civilizations did not suffer, as the fertile flood plains among the Nile were quite reliable. So was the civilizations developed among the twin rivers in Iraq. Examples and research: agricultural biology and chemistry, the Irish great famine, the Finnish famine of 1866-1868.
- The year round growing season and in locations of generous rain, tropical rainforest will spread along low lying areas, making them almost impassable to humans, reducing interaction between civilizations. Including dry tropical desert areas, these have historically made huge obstacles for humans to cross. The lowish human population (see above) is not able to shrink the areas in a satisfactory scale. Examples and research: the African equatorial rainforest, the Sahara, the pre-industrial African population.
- The warm climate without hardly any cold and freezing days will allow viruses, bacteria and parasites to develop almost 24/7. Countermeasures against most tropical diseases, for example malaria, were unknown in pre-industrial times. Though plague and etc were rampant in Europe, the cold climate allowed for more protection than the climates in Africa which were warm around the year, and also offered measures of primitive isolation.
Examples: malaria, tsetse, tuberculosis, the bubonic plague.
- The lack of natural refrigeration. The cold climates of Europe allowed refrigerator and even freezer temps and helped preserve food naturally along with salting, preventing them to rot. Africa had no such choice. In Northern Europe, underground cellars could preserve food supplies for a large chunk of the year which would allow common people to break away from everyday food collecting and farming. Included with complex taxation (something which was easier due to the shorter distances in Europe) allowed day-jobs to be implemented more effectively, like among carpenters and the burgeoisie, a young and not noble class unknown to many African civilizations. Examples and further study: history of refrigeration, natural food preservatives, food and bacterial chemistry, economical history of Europe since the Middle Ages.
There were some other points, but I've wrote enough already, I don't have the energy to continue anymore. The main find in the essay was that Africa was dealt the worst cards in the world, for so many reasons. I didn't even mention the hostile animals which still are out there. But for all those reasons, both the arctic and tropical climates have naturally been the most hostile to humans. Yes, we evolved from subtropical highland climates, but as we learned how to harness fire, wear clothes and to develop agriculture, we took the great leap from species like rabbits or lions.
I don't agree that it is geography and climate that determine the success or lack of success of societies in various parts of the world. If that were true, then the same parts of the world would have always been on top, and this is not the case. Rather, you find radical fluctuations throughout history. In fact, before the age of northern European dominance, that region was one of the least developed in the world.
Basically when it comes to different climates, most of them have both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to human development. Balance the fluctuations in precipitation in tropical regions against the fluctuations in temperature in northern and eastern Europe. Balance the difficulty of refrigeration in the tropics against the more limited growing season in the temperate zone. Balance tropical diseases against the concentration and contagiousness of diseases when humans are forced to live inside in close quarters for large parts of the year.
I don't claim to know the cause of Africa's problems, but I will point out that the western and central African lowland rainforests are quite a different environment from the higher elevation savannas and woodlands that make up most eastern and southern Africa. If you add in the Sahara desert you've got a range of environments and climates with little commonality.
You'll never call me a winter hypocrite...lol. I hate summer, and I love winter, and I constantly pine for the winter I never get to see, due to my geographic handicap.
I love snow more than any other weather condition, and the more the better. And the cold....mmm. I never sleep better than I do on a cold winter's night - and I love how the air is so fresh and clean and clear in winter. I love how the sun slants, I love being able to see the sky in winter (due to the trees being bare), and I just love winter period. I'm happy when it begins and I'm sad when it ends. Time during the winter flies by, while in summer, it slows to a crawl. I love being able to put on real clothes in winter - layers are fun! I love not having to sweat my ears off even with just a tanktop on, like I do in summer. And my dream is to move to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan someday, where they specialize in winter.
I love winter, but I can't stand cold temperatures without bundling up and having a source of heat. I'm not one to call anyone a hypocrite though so meh.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariete
Yes especially in the historical context. As a part of my admittance to Uni, I wrote an essay on why the African continent became so underdeveloped comparing to the others. One main factor I found was the climate and geography. Some points I still remember, and a couple of thoughts after that:
<snip>
What about colonization? A good chunk of Southern Africa is great for agriculture, but politics have made that region quite unstable.
I think a good example of a country whose culture wasn't affected too badly by colonization is Botswana. Democratic elections, a quite peaceful country, an okay life expectancy (70 if one doesn't catch HIV).
The winter lovers don't like winter for its actual conditions, but for the activities winter brings, such as outdoor activities, ice fishing etc and the decrease in daylight.
How can anyone seriously like cold, snowy and freezing air? Compared with fresh, warm and clean sunny air?
I know this was only intended a response to the "summer lovers are hypocrites" thread, and just as I believe summer-lovers aren't hypocrites, I also believe winter-lovers aren't hypocrites. Now, there are people on both sides who claim to like winter/summer but whine about how cold/hot it is when the season actually arrives, but I don't count them as lovers of the season.
As for warm and hot air being clean and fresh, anytime it gets hot and humid I have trouble breathing and the whole air mass feels dirty and icky. Hot and dry saps the life out of me but is a lot cleaner than hot and humid. However, no warm or hot air ever feels fresh to me; 0F with hard frost blows away the competition for the freshest air. I also can only really enjoy the outdoors in cooler seasons, because in summer I get bitten up by bugs when I go outside, and if I lie in the grass I get bitten up even more. When the grass is brown and the bugs are dormant I can lie in the grass to my heart's content and not even have to take a shower when I go inside*.
As for ice fishing and other winter activities, people who crave to ice-fish, build snowmen, and play ice hockey usually enjoy cold, snow, and ice, and many, including myself, enjoy cold, snow, and ice for its own sake. Also, if us cold-lovers don't ever feel the cold because we have indoor heating and clothing, how come all the warmth-lovers hate cold places with a passion and yearn for warmer climates? It's because the clothing and heating is all part of the winter environment and yields a very different (and colder) sensation, when you feel the cold and wind against your face and breathe in the fresh icy air, and look out upon your frozen breath and the white, glistening snowpack. That is the winter experience, and the desire for it sets us apart from all the others.
*This can sometimes lead to strange situations, such as seeing someone walk by with a jacket on while I'm lying on the grass looking at the sky in shorts as if it's summer. As far as I'm aware, I'm also the only person in my area that ventures outside in shorts and short sleeves when it's below 20F. That's for short trips after I'm acclimatized - why waste time putting on a parka when I'll be just fine with shorts and short sleeves? Besides, there's nothing like a pre-dawn excursion in cold air to wake up the mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight
I love snow more than any other weather condition, and the more the better. And the cold....mmm. I never sleep better than I do on a cold winter's night - and I love how the air is so fresh and clean and clear in winter. I love how the sun slants, I love being able to see the sky in winter (due to the trees being bare), and I just love winter period. I'm happy when it begins and I'm sad when it ends. Time during the winter flies by, while in summer, it slows to a crawl. I love being able to put on real clothes in winter - layers are fun! I love not having to sweat my ears off even with just a tanktop on, like I do in summer. And my dream is to move to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan someday, where they specialize in winter.
The winter lovers don't like winter for its actual conditions, but for the activities winter brings, such as outdoor activities, ice fishing etc and the decrease in daylight.
How can anyone seriously like cold, snowy and freezing air? Compared with fresh, warm and clean sunny air?
Winter is horrible.
It's not even winter here yet in Winnipeg, Canada but the decreasing temps and daylight is already makin me cringe.
I agree with you 110%! Very well said....
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Oh so agreed. Nobody in their right mind wants to deal with layers. Winter clothing sucks. 
Winter lovers only like Christmas and darkness.
And the cold....mmm. I never sleep better than I do on a cold winter's night - and I love how the air is so fresh and clean and clear in winter. I love how the sun slants, I love being able to see the sky in winter (due to the trees being bare), and I just love winter period. I'm happy when it begins and I'm sad when it ends. Time during the winter flies by, while in summer, it slows to a crawl. I love being able to put on real clothes in winter - layers are fun! 
