As summers feel like they’re growing increasingly warmer (and people are talking climate change), Americans are relying more and more on air conditioning to stay cool — compared to say, even three or four decades ago. And for many office workers, this can lead to aggressively frigid temperatures.
The New York Times recently published an op-ed titled “Do Americans Need Air-Conditioning?” which makes the argument that our dependence on air conditioning and intolerance of the heat is a First World learned behavior. Yet, the author also acknowledges that women tend to have more of an aversion to chilly offices than men.
It’s not difficult to see things from both perspectives, however the debate took on a whole new life when Atlantic writer Taylor Lorenz weighed in on Sunday. “Air-conditioning is unhealthy, bad, miserable, and sexist,” she wrote, tweeting the article. “I can’t explain how many times I’ve gotten sick over the summer because of overzealous AC in offices,” adding the hashtag “#BanAC.”
Lorenz added a few more tweets elaborating on her point, but it seems to have fallen to deaf ears. Because as it shockingly turns out, people have very strong opinions when it comes to air conditioning and personal comfort, and many sounded off accordingly.
And of course there were jokes:
But at least a few people were able to provide a voice of reason, of sorts:
With temperatures exceeding 90 degrees in many parts of the country in the long-term forecast, this debate is almost certain to rage on. Or at least, until the next thing Twitter users decide to be mad at, anyway.
