The Frost Tax

[kernals12]

What really pissed me off was back in February when we had that freakishly mild winter and the only thing the media seemed to care about was the plight of skiers.

Yeah, screw those skiers and their snow loving ways!

They could've spoken to poor people about how much they were saving on heat.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Clearly the place you're looking for is Vanuatu. 80 islands. No public transit (some minibuses). Lots of trees. Good temperatures.

Of course then you'd just complain for a Cyclone Tax.

[NJRoadfan]

And cost-wise, ol'good flame is much cheaper technology compared to power station turbine, which is a must for AC.

Ironically, the most efficient heating system is a heat pump (literally a central AC system running in reverse), because it moves existing heat from outside into the building vs. converting electricity or fossil fuels to heat. The problem is the "fuel" (electricity) is generally more expensive per kwh than sources like natural gas or heating oil.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

[jeffandnicole]

What really pissed me off was back in February when we had that freakishly mild winter and the only thing the media seemed to care about was the plight of skiers.

Yeah, screw those skiers and their snow loving ways!

They could've spoken to poor people about how much they were saving on heat.

The same poor people that need to take the very public transit you're against?

[J N Winkler]

Kind of curious, if you hate winter so much, why stay in Massaschusetts?

I dislike the winter, but I've never decided to make a list of why it sucks in an effort to argue for, what I can only assume, is some quest to geo-engineer winter out of the climate. My beef, as stated earlier, is how the government reacts to it, which is (theoretically) resolvable.

I'm 23 years old and have struggled to find permanent employment since I graduated from college so I can't move out of my parent's house which is in Massachusetts. And there's lots to like about this state, with its forests, its strong knowledge economy, and its progressive values.

Rooting for climate change. Much progressive.

That's an interesting take isn't it?  That might make things in Massachusetts slightly more balmy, but what about all those other cities that suddenly would be in desert climates or might even be flooded over by sea level rise?  Then again all those polar ice caps melting might have the opposite effect and begin to shut down the oceanic current.

From the perspective of human comfort, not to say livability, I think the key effect of global warming will be to make large areas of the Earth's landmass uninhabitable due to high heat in combination with high humidity.

[Scott5114]

I think the key effect of global warming will be to make large areas of the Earth's landmass uninhabitable due to high heat in combination with high humidity.

And of course, Southerners are already adapted to heat+humidity, and Texas produces a good chunk of the country's fossil fuels... Son of a bitch, the damn Texans are trying to take over the world!

[webny99]

... the damn Texans are trying to take over the world!

[insert Jack Easterby joke of choice here]

[1995hoo]

It wasn't the blade, it was the arm, which is much more expensive.

OK, that answered my question about why it cost so much, but wouldn't an auto parts store carry it, or be able to get it? Many of the auto parts chains rely on their own distribution networks,  instead of the USPS or commercial carriers, and shouldn't have been subject to shipping delays.

....

Wiper arms vary widely from car to car. I just ordered a pair from a supplier in Washington State. But in my case, it's understandable why I had to make some effort, since the ones I wanted are for a 1988 RX-7. In my case, it's not due to "damage" per se–they work OK, but they're old and rusted and it was easier just to spend $65 plus shipping for each arm than it would be to remove them, sand them, and paint them.

[kernals12]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

In Rural New England, tons of businesses close for the winter, much to the inconvenience of those of us looking for a burger while on a weekend drive to the country. Is that the case in Florida in the Summer?

[kernals12]

What really pissed me off was back in February when we had that freakishly mild winter and the only thing the media seemed to care about was the plight of skiers.

Yeah, screw those skiers and their snow loving ways!

They could've spoken to poor people about how much they were saving on heat.

The same poor people that need to take the very public transit you're against?

Most poor people utilize very cheap used cars to get around

[kernals12]

Kind of curious, if you hate winter so much, why stay in Massaschusetts?

I dislike the winter, but I've never decided to make a list of why it sucks in an effort to argue for, what I can only assume, is some quest to geo-engineer winter out of the climate. My beef, as stated earlier, is how the government reacts to it, which is (theoretically) resolvable.

I'm 23 years old and have struggled to find permanent employment since I graduated from college so I can't move out of my parent's house which is in Massachusetts. And there's lots to like about this state, with its forests, its strong knowledge economy, and its progressive values.

Rooting for climate change. Much progressive.

That's an interesting take isn't it?  That might make things in Massachusetts slightly more balmy, but what about all those other cities that suddenly would be in desert climates or might even be flooded over by sea level rise?  Then again all those polar ice caps melting might have the opposite effect and begin to shut down the oceanic current.

From the perspective of human comfort, not to say livability, I think the key effect of global warming will be to make large areas of the Earth's landmass uninhabitable due to high heat in combination with high humidity.

One study found that 80% of Americans live in places that have more pleasant weather now than in 1970
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature17441.epdf?referrer_access_token=Ckp0CXTydRGtmpYtZg_-XNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Oari_4VH1ACxpUBhDxd0FmZ7Gn_4IcmORidouNRJ30_6Qp5OLqp2LQeY_jXWaOeYbRl2ruraDNtrRV5Lh_TlK0nXYRkd9IGyLgXRzJBkzOdVb5S8RTt3XU92f_63Vf_eCAHOTpoDMAqK5B-rkXf3h2zsIvh7XmGeScZRT6GU-iu98RwsxLk8opQtbT7nkALIAYjHcKqv5JJwhYSW5RRWZPRM-zCnuHnHgPqyXbOf4ROENEfvUz9pAHUsf18NvJ_XN8_FPPfE5ynhRfkaO-ant0dxXpHDGFSWzZyvoXGG-7jG-Rdzy7PwQaB4jnbZ3E0_HohnOpkTNdLIOt2nSuWmgXtaz5KRYhVyln8oS1vFRpIw%3D%3D&tracking_referrer=www.npr.org

[jeffandnicole]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

In Rural New England, tons of businesses close for the winter, much to the inconvenience of those of us looking for a burger while on a weekend drive to the country. Is that the case in Florida in the Summer?

Why are you going for a drive in the winter in the country? Maybe because there aren't hoards of tourists?  I'm sure you don't have to drive that far to find your burger. What would you do in rural areas where there's no restaurants at all?

[kernals12]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

In Rural New England, tons of businesses close for the winter, much to the inconvenience of those of us looking for a burger while on a weekend drive to the country. Is that the case in Florida in the Summer?

Why are you going for a drive in the winter in the country? Maybe because there aren't hoards of tourists?  I'm sure you don't have to drive that far to find your burger. What would you do in rural areas where there's no restaurants at all?

I like taking a drive out in the country. And in one case, my parents wanted me to pick up some stuff from a bakery on the Cape.

[kernals12]

Here's how we can have our cake and eat it too on climate change.

Melting the Arctic would actually result in a cooling of the earth, as the reduced albedo would be more than cancelled out by the removal of the insulating layer of ice, allowing more of the ocean's heat to escape into space. The result would be the Arctic would be above freezing even in January. One of the authors of the paper told me that Winter temperatures in the US and Asia would rise by 3-4 degrees celsius, and by 5 degrees in Europe due to the stronger AMOC. And that's not counting the impact of reduced albedo from lower snow cover in Canada and Siberia.

But the Mid Atlantic would also cool down, creating fewer hurricanes, and the seas around Antarctica would cool, slowing down the melting there, something that can be helped along by building submerged barriers to protect Antarctica's glaciers from the warm ocean.

[The Nature Boy]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

In Rural New England, tons of businesses close for the winter, much to the inconvenience of those of us looking for a burger while on a weekend drive to the country. Is that the case in Florida in the Summer?

Why are you going for a drive in the winter in the country? Maybe because there aren't hoards of tourists?  I'm sure you don't have to drive that far to find your burger. What would you do in rural areas where there's no restaurants at all?

I like taking a drive out in the country. And in one case, my parents wanted me to pick up some stuff from a bakery on the Cape.

You're surprised that businesses in beach towns are closed in the winter? I've been to beach towns in South Carolina where businesses close in the winter. This isn't a "frost tax" thing, it's a "people don't want to go to the beach in winter" thing. New England would need South Florida's climate to alleviate your concern there.

[kernals12]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

In Rural New England, tons of businesses close for the winter, much to the inconvenience of those of us looking for a burger while on a weekend drive to the country. Is that the case in Florida in the Summer?

Why are you going for a drive in the winter in the country? Maybe because there aren't hoards of tourists?  I'm sure you don't have to drive that far to find your burger. What would you do in rural areas where there's no restaurants at all?

I like taking a drive out in the country. And in one case, my parents wanted me to pick up some stuff from a bakery on the Cape.

You're surprised that businesses in beach towns are closed in the winter? I've been to beach towns in South Carolina where businesses close in the winter. This isn't a "frost tax" thing, it's a "people don't want to go to the beach in winter" thing. New England would need South Florida's climate to alleviate your concern there.

Maybe winter is too much to ask, but 3 seasons of the year would be nice.

[triplemultiplex]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

[kernals12]

"Seasonality of tourism"  goes more than one way. NFW would I go to Disney World or Phoenix or south Texas in July. On the flip side, in winter can go up to Lake Superior, and not be bothered by hordes of morons or be extorted by hotels like in summer and fall.

But what about agriculture and construction?



In the Sun Belt, construction is a year round endeavor while in the snow belt, everything grinds to a halt in winter, leaving all those construction workers out of a job and lots of construction equipment rusting away in storage.

And I hardly need to talk about agriculture.

[kernals12]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

[Max Rockatansky]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

Meh, I'll take the 30F over 90F.  30F never put me in the hospital for dehydration and possible heart issues, 90F (89F specifically) did in 2015.  50-55F is about as perfect as it gets for me, I guess I'm not human.

[kernals12]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

Meh, I'll take the 30F over 90F.  30F never put me in the hospital for dehydration and possible heart issues, 90F (89F specifically) did in 2015.  50-55F is about as perfect as it gets for me, I guess I'm not human.

What do you have your thermostat set for?

[Max Rockatansky]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

Meh, I'll take the 30F over 90F.  30F never put me in the hospital for dehydration and possible heart issues, 90F (89F specifically) did in 2015.  50-55F is about as perfect as it gets for me, I guess I'm not human.

What do you have your thermostat set for?

I don't have it set to anything, it's not on and stays around 60-66F by default.  I think you're missing the point of what I was trying to say.  Not everyone agrees with your views on everything, for some reason you don't see that despite numerous people disagreeing with you.  This thread is just another example of it. 

[kernals12]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

Meh, I'll take the 30F over 90F.  30F never put me in the hospital for dehydration and possible heart issues, 90F (89F specifically) did in 2015.  50-55F is about as perfect as it gets for me, I guess I'm not human.

What do you have your thermostat set for?

I don't have it set to anything, it's not on and stays around 60-66F by default.  I think you're missing the point of what I was trying to say.  Not everyone agrees with your views on everything, for some reason you don't see that despite numerous people disagreeing with you.  This thread is just another example of it.

68 to 72 degrees is kind of the default for room temperature.

[Max Rockatansky]

Winter is great.  It keeps out the riff-raff.

When it's cold, you can always put on more clothes.  When it's hot, you can only take so many clothes off before you get arrested.

But 90 degrees is closer to what humans consider optimal than 30 degrees.

Meh, I'll take the 30F over 90F.  30F never put me in the hospital for dehydration and possible heart issues, 90F (89F specifically) did in 2015.  50-55F is about as perfect as it gets for me, I guess I'm not human.

What do you have your thermostat set for?

I don't have it set to anything, it's not on and stays around 60-66F by default.  I think you're missing the point of what I was trying to say.  Not everyone agrees with your views on everything, for some reason you don't see that despite numerous people disagreeing with you.  This thread is just another example of it.

68 to 72 degrees is kind of the default for room temperature.

With the air off for months?  Probably not so much on that range temperatures in other places more northerly than me.  Right now I'm completely comfortable, I'm definitely not when we have it at 85F in the summer time to avoid a huge utility bill.