191–200 of 310 posts
Leave it to HN to recommend cool(-ing) technology to indians when the world is on fucking fire because of their own apathy towards the policies of their own governments.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Public transport hasn't solved the problem of "the last mile". How do I get to/from the train station/bus stop? Frequently you still need a car to even get there and then you will need parking - which is often limited and costs a lot. Then there's timeliness. Deutsche Bahn is known for frequently their trains are delayed. In summer, even on the Intercity connections (IC, ICE) trains will be filled to the brim and air…
> How do I get to/from the train station/bus stop? Having good public transportation would mean having a bus stop within 100m of every house.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> How do I get to/from the train station/bus stop? By foot, bike, trotinette. If it's too far, that isn't good public transit and/or you live too far.
> trotinette I believe we call that a scooter in English. Had to look it up.
And here in the western world, people still don't like using public transport and their bikes (when they can). It's difficult to be optimistic, but it seems there is nothing that will truly limit fossil fuel consumption. Maybe some oil producing countries could get in some sort of alliance, and artificially limit the amount of oil they extract, in return for subsidies? Those countries could also put a tariff on oil.…
> people still don't like using public transport Because most public transport sucks, is unreliable, only works at certain hours, is dirty, unsafe, and covers only a small ridiculous amount of space limited to key cities. No wonder. The pandemic will only make public transport less desirable as well.
> only works at certain hours, is dirty, unsafe, and covers only a small ridiculous amount of space limited to key cities
And here in the western world, people still don't like using public transport and their bikes (when they can). It's difficult to be optimistic, but it seems there is nothing that will truly limit fossil fuel consumption. Maybe some oil producing countries could get in some sort of alliance, and artificially limit the amount of oil they extract, in return for subsidies? Those countries could also put a tariff on oil.…
You mean the US, because in a lot of european countries, we very much like using our public transports and bikes
Some common definitions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who was in Europe for one of the heatwaves of recent years, and whose appartment was in one of these older buildings designed this ways with thick walls etc., I can attest that this only works up to a point . This design relies on there being cold air for the building to retain. However, in a heatwave it doesn't even get cold at night. The result is your apartment gradually heating over a period of days /…
Yeah it's a temporary effect and once the walls have heated up, it actually makes it worse since it retains the heat at nighttime as well. You need to drill down to access the constant temperature in the ground, to be able to really counterbalance the differences in the air temperature. Once you've drilled down I guess you can make a passive or minimal energy circulation system that would be much more energy efficien…
It's great in the winter though. I haven't had to turn my heat on in years.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That doesn’t seem to line up with the marketing you linked. “10-20% energy savings when integrated with building refrigeration and HVAC systems.” PV on the roof can normally provide 100% of the energy needed for AC.
It’s a per-unit-area comparison: https://www.betonconsultingeng.com/passive-radiative-cooling... “”SkyCool arrays work by cooling a fluid that moves below the panels and is pumped through refrigeration systems. The cooling helps reduce the run time of motors in the refrigeration system to reduce electricity consumption. All told, the SkyCool system can reject heat at about 100 watts per square meter, saving between 4…
And that’s assuming you need to remove heat 24/7/365. A solar panel can also provide electricity when cooling is unnecessary. Things get even worse if you need pumps etc to circulate a fluid under the film, which is presumably why that 10-20% cost savings figure was suggested.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the last time this happened was 1901 (but 1901 was hotter), it doesn't sound "more common"? It's literally more than 100 years since the last time this level of heat occurred. Sounds similar to 100-year floods?
My understanding is that 1901 wasn't particularly hot. They mention 1901 because that's when systematic collection of weather data began.
And here in the western world, people still don't like using public transport and their bikes (when they can). It's difficult to be optimistic, but it seems there is nothing that will truly limit fossil fuel consumption. Maybe some oil producing countries could get in some sort of alliance, and artificially limit the amount of oil they extract, in return for subsidies? Those countries could also put a tariff on oil.…
"Hilarious" is not the word I'd use. "Dispiriting", "Irresponsible", "Fucked up". I don't understand why we aren't pouring massive amounts of money into public transport. Apparently many people in Western Europe seem to enjoy being stuck in traffic for hours every day. For some reason, company cars are still a thing in Belgium, very nearly everyone working in IT gets one. I can't wrap my head around how stupid this i…
Because it would be seen as a socialist measure.
Reminds me that I should finish reading The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future
From someone who hasn't read it, can you say why? That's the second time I've seen it referenced here. Cheers.
The subject chosen is really interesting but the way the novel was written (fiction mixed with facts) and some chapters where the author directly communicates with the reader is really weird. I wouldn't be surprised if this is their first novel and reads like a middle school essay of some kind.