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A talk with my neighbor in Phoenix about his new AC unit really got me thinking
He just installed a huge new air conditioner for his house, which he said uses a ton of power but keeps his place at 68 degrees all summer. I mentioned how that adds to the heat island effect here and spikes energy use, but he just shrugged and said 'comfort comes first, and one person doesn't make a difference.' That stuck with me. Where do you draw the line between personal comfort and cutting back for the bigger picture?
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kim.stella1mo agoTop Commenter
It’s the same pattern everywhere now. People act like their one choice doesn’t matter, but multiply that by a whole neighborhood running oversized ACs and you get blackouts and hotter nights for everyone. I see it with my tenants too, they crank the thermostat and then complain about the electric bill like the two aren’t connected. We’ve all got this weird blind spot where our own comfort is a right but the collective cost is someone else’s problem.
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tarahart2mo ago
Honestly, my cousin did the same thing with a pool heater and his power bill went nuts. Tbh it's hard to blame people for wanting to be comfortable when it's that hot out. I guess the line is different for everyone.
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