Today's advocacy

[jenett]

So, we have, for the past months, been meeting as individual task forces about elements of upper school culture. I've actually enjoyed mine (integrity) a whole lot - they include parents, students, and faculty, and it's been really intriguing to hear kids talk in a way I rarely get to hear them. They've been really open and direct about where things break down, and they have really good reasons about why.

One of the other groups is the Green Team - unsurprisingly looking for ways to reduce energy use, paper use, etc. etc. in ways that improve environmental things. (We've done some cool stuff already: they have recycling bins far and wide, and the senior class gift two years ago helped put in a rain garden.)

One of their proposals is to have a "Freaky Cold Friday" (for the alliteration): the school is usually set to between 70 and 72, depending on the room, and they'd like to turn it down to 68 or 67. General agreement from the faculty, but they mentioned during their presentation that they'd considered springing it on people and seeing who noticed. (They decided not to do this, which is good.)

However, I felt it good to speak up (to one of the committee members, and sent him email after, so he can pass it along easily) to point out that for people who are temperature sensitive, advance warning is really necessary, so they can make sure to be prepared, and explained some of why. (and my email included that last winter I was keeping my own house at 65ish, and this winter it's at 70-72, or I have major chills, so I'm particularly aware of it.)

He made thoughtful noises, and agreed, but it is also good to be vocal about these thing.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

If I may suggest, every state differs on this but most of the ones I've lived in had specific laws dictating temperatures (high/low based on season) for offices. You may find looking into those, as well as OSHA are useful to you on this.

[jenett]

Thing is, I actually agree with the idea, given adequate warning - they did the caculations, and even a single day of somewhat lower temps reduces carbon dioxide emissions, etc. substantially. (They're also only talking about 68, which is within quite reasonable range locally: this is Minnesota, and it's quite common for people to keep household heat around that range to save on heating costs.) The only thing I think would be bad would be doing it without sufficient warning. (While they're considering looking at longer-term plans, this is also a one-time thing, to see how it goes, and what happens: if there are significant issues, they'd change plans.)

[alsatia.livejournal.com]

... That is disturbingly cold. I consider myself to be a hot person in general, but I would be miserable with an indoor temperature of 67. I had a psychotic roommate who wanted our apartment to be at least that cold, if not colder, at all times, and I had to wear a coat and gloves constantly and was still shivering and barely able to function.

[boojum.livejournal.com]

That is disturbingly cold.

That really depends on how your body functions, what you're used to, and what season it is. I'm happiest around 68-70 degrees in the winter if I haven't been spending a lot of time outside, but if I've been (for instance) bike commuting, I'd rather it be around 66-68 degrees inside in the winter. (Note: at both of these temperatures, I'm often wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and no socks.) My parents prefer it even colder, and keep their house in the low to mid sixties.

Some people function better if it's 75 degrees inside in the winter -- I try to not to live with them, and if I have to work with them, try to arrange things so that I'm near the leaky window and they're in the hot air vent's stream. (Also, clothing choice. I had one coworker who kept turning the heat up because he'd worn shorts to work in February. I was not happy with him.)

Like jenett, but in the opposite direction, if I know that a place is going to be too warm for me, I can prepare a little: I can wear light clothing, I can take an ice water bottle, and I can attempt to turn my metabolism down.

[jenett]

This is part of why the temperature shift is bugging me.

Last winter, I'd be like you: I'd be around 66-68 indoors, wearing a t-shirt and shorts and no socks, and be quite comfortable unless I was standing for a while (in which case slippers) or was recovering from a cold, or had been out in the cold for a while, or whatever. (in which case, nice sweatshirt-material night dress or fleece top and pants.)

These days, like I said, I'm around 70-72. This offends my sensibilities, both in the sense of not wanting to consume more energy than I have to, and in the sense that, yes, I can pay for the extra energy (I'm on the budget plan, so it's a change over time readjusted twice a year, not a sudden monthly spike) but I resent having to just because my body is not behaving. (You'll notice I haven't resisted actually turning up the thermostat a bit - just that I resent the fact I have to. Sensible, even when ranty about this issue.)

My general baseline is that if my fingers are too cold to type properly, it is too cold in the house, which seems like a reasonable baseline. (I do have fingerless gloves, but dislike them for all the time use.)

[boojum.livejournal.com]

Oof, that's an annoying change.

I bet you don't have as many useful habits and wardrobe bits as people who are used to getting cold do, either. I know I don't, which bites me when I'm in a situation where I actually get chilled.

Resenting something and behaving sensibly anyway is a skill which I am painstakingly teaching myself. It's much better than resenting and not behaving sensibly, which was my previous scheme. Not resenting is a state that works for some people, but not me.

[jenett]

Yeah. It's really tedious, and more so in terms of dealing with it because I don't know if it's a long term one. Do I invest in really really good socks, or do I make do for the time being, and see where I am next fall?

(My basic theory has been inexpensive socks in plain cotton - I've got opinions about polyester and clothing - but also acquring nice silk shawls, because I have other uses for them after I stop needing the extra layer.)

[cjsherwood.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine trying to learn in an atmosphere that is 67 degrees. My childhood home was set at 69 and that could get chilly at times (and went down to 63 at night; trying to wake up before the thermostat had gone back up was not fun!).

I had a summer class one year where the A/C was blasting so hard, I'd leave a jeans jacket in my car, carry it to class, wear it during class (on 90-degree days, even!), take it off after class, and carry it back to my car when I was ready to leave. On those days when I stayed on campus post-class, I looked very odd carrying around a jacket.