Essay by Eric Worrall
A “record breaking” winter heat wave gripping Australia has likely saved homes millions of dollars in home heating costs. But apparently we don’t have to look at the end of the fall season as a good thing.
A heat wave has brought Australia’s winter weather to a standstill as climate change ends the season
According to climate reporter Jess Davis
On Sunday afternoon, Australians across the country basked in the glorious winter sunshine.
The blossoms have sprung early, in Melbourne footy was played at 24 degrees, and the ski field mourned as heavy rain killed the rest of the poor snow season.
…
And even though the beginning of winter feels cold to many, it’s partly because our memories are short.
“It feels very cold because there have been many other warm winters in the last 20 years,” Professor Perkins-Kirkpatrick said.
“Human experience, most of us only remember weather events or seasonal events up to eight years ago.
…
“Honestly, for most of us, it’s quite pleasant, a nice change from the colder conditions,” Dr King said.
“But for the spring or summer, if we get a heat wave, with the same strength as we’ve seen in the last week or so, or an unusual level, we will be very worried about the heat wave.”
…
More than a thousand people died during the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia when the temperature reached 51.8 degrees Celsius.
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Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-29/winter-ends-with-heatwave-as-climate-change-upends-seasons/104279250
The elderly and sick suffer from heat waves, just as they suffer from extreme cold. But affordable coal or gas power to power air conditioners, or increased winter fuel subsidies for pensioners, would do more to help the sick and elderly on limited incomes than spending billions of government cash on wild schemes to reduce temperatures in the future. fraction of a degree.
Home heating (and cooling) costs are a big problem in Australia, especially in the cooler, cooler southern states.
Almost half of Australians have gone cold this winter for fear of electricity bills
By Emily McPherson • Senior Reporter 8:56am August 12, 2024
Millions of Australians have been braving this winter, avoiding using their heaters for fear of the cost, a new survey has revealed.
A new study, from comparison site Finder, found 1 in 8 Australians don’t heat up “all the time”, while a further 36 per cent said they don’t use their heaters as much as possible.
The findings, based on a survey of 1,049 respondents, mean almost half of Australians – or the equivalent of 4.9 million households – live without adequate heating.
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Read more: https://www.9news.com.au/national/almost-half-of-australians-have-gone-cold-this-winter-over-power-bill-fears/adbbac4e-301b-459f-8f37 -a20500b050d8
Extreme heat waves or cold waves are only a problem for people who are sick if they are forced to endure the effects, say because they can’t switch on the air conditioning.
For those who are not sick, the type of heat we are talking about is not a challenge, providing one stays properly hydrated.
When I was young, I worked for a while in a poorly ventilated plastic factory in Melbourne, Australia. Chemical processes and leaking hydraulic heat engines release huge amounts of steam, making the environment wet. On the hottest day the thermometer on the factory floor reached 55C / 130F. Management patrols the floor every 5 minutes, offering hydration drinks.
My grandfather told me he worked in similar conditions in a metal foundry in Melbourne in WW2, 18 hours a day building Artillery pieces for the war effort. The factory features a large molten pot of lead, constantly maintained at 660F to heat treat the steel, I guess the factory floor is probably hotter than what I experienced.
The human body can adapt. When my work day ends at 3pm, it’s an unforgettable experience walking out into the blazing sun on a 110F day, and shivering uncontrollably with the cold for 2 minutes as my body adjusts to the sudden temperature.
I’m sure people who work in bakeries and mines have similar experiences.
But you wouldn’t expect climate scientists who spend most of their lives in comfortable air-conditioned offices to know this.
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