[lit-ideas] Re: It's not the heat, it's the heat

  • From: Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 20:51:50 -0700

>It's not the heat it's the humidity

ck: I beg to differ. Feeling like 116 is different from the actual temperature 
being 116, regardless of humidity. But perhaps it's that misapprehension that 
makes people in this low-humidity climate believe their bodies are handling the 
heat just fine, when in fact they're not. People don't *feel* that much hotter 
(perception), but their actual body temperature may go above what their 
internal organs can stand. 

I felt fine out in the heat, doing errands, for instance. Had my water bottle, 
used ac in the car--no sweat. Almost. But when I got home, I was ill for 4 
hours. Did this twice until I went to the MD. The high heat had affected my 
cardiac rhythm. (I have mild valve problems.) But I felt fine until I didn't. 
My guess is, many people push themselves to function in this heat, even if 
minimally, without realizing that feeling uncomfortably hot is the least of 
their heat-related problems. 

Dying from heat is awfully easy, in middle age and later. In the longer term, 
illness and early death, as an indirect result of the combination of high heat 
and pollution, is the Central Valley's biggest human problem. (I was going to 
write "concern," but relatively few people show concern. They just build higher 
walls and go elsewhere, as in Louisiana.)
 
Carol

 

 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx 
  To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 8:28 PM
  Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: It's not the heat, it's the heat


  It's not the heat it's the humidity -- temps here at 100 but 84% humidity 
causes a 115 degree heat index.  Temps in the hundreds projected for at least 
the next week.  I grew up in AZ where 110 in the shade was cooler than 80 
degrees is here.  What causes high humidity in various areas of the country?  
Anyone have an easy answer?  

  Cooling shelters are opening city-wide.

  Julie Krueger

  ========Original Message======== Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: It's not the heat, 
it's the heat 
        Date: 7/29/06 7:03:40 PM Central Daylight Time 
        From: carolkir@xxxxxxxx 
        To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
        Sent on:     

  > It was just mentioned on the evening news. Somewhere in the valley near > 
  > Fresno, as far as I could tell. Fresno? Carol?

  ck: Yo, friends! I'm here, I'm alive. It was a mere 116 degrees here 
  yesterday. Indoors, though, and without air conditioning, it could easily 
  reach 120 or so. Perhaps the news fudged a bit, geographically. It's easily 
  120 in Mojave, commonly, but that's east of here.

  About a hundred people in Fresno dropped dead in this heat--not everyone has 
  working air conditioning. But you've heard. The cops and EMTs are finding 
  more corpses throughout the city, on the street and in apartments, houses, 
  fields. A lot of people are stinting on their use of air conditioning, 
  because of cost. I figure it's use it or die.

  The heat has been unrelenting for 3 weeks. Unusual for Fresno, where 110 
  degrees isn't unusual, for a day or so. It's a relatively cool 104 today. 
  We're expecting temperatures over 110 again next week.

  What to do? Stay indoors, use the air conditioning, and protest PG&E 
  (electric co.) if they won't give folks here a financial break. Meanwhile, 
  I'm in the cool, reading about string theory. Theoretical physics--the 
  ultimate escapism.

  Carol,
  in Fresno--the city known for the weirdest murders in the world














  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Robert Paul" <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
  To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 6:05 PM
  Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: It's not the heat, it's the heat


  > Julie wrote (re 126º temperatures):
  >
  >>  I didn't catch the name of the city.
  >
  > It was just mentioned on the evening news. Somewhere in the valley near 
  > Fresno, as far as I could tell. Fresno? Carol?
  >
  > Robert Paul
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