Questions and Answers of 'The Case Against Air Conditioning'

             Questions and Answers of 'The Case Against Air Conditioning'

Comprehension

1.     What does Cox think is wrong with air conditioning?

Ans: Cox says that air conditioning uses a lot of energy; running air conditioners burns fossil fuels, which emits greenhouse gases that raise global temperatures, which in turn increases the need for air conditioning. He believes that air conditioning should be used more sparingly.

2.   According to Cox, what would be the results of a largely “A.C.-free Washington” (3)? Does the scenario he outlines apply only to Washington, DC? Only to urban areas? Does it apply to other parts of the countries as well?

Ans: cox says that reduced air conditioning use in Washington would result in more flexible work schedules (business, including governmental ones, closing and adjusting for heat), renovation for buildings to better accommodate heat, decreased use of heat-generating  appliances, and increased socialization resulting from time outside. These changes could apply to other towns and cities across the country as well.

3.     Beginning in paragraph 4, Cox discusses the positive effects of reducing the use of air conditioning. What negative effects does he ignore?

Ans: Reducing air conditioning use could be difficult for people who do not tolerate heat well; they may feel as if they are confined to spaces that have air conditioning and have difficulty functioning during the summer. This could also pose problems for pets that are intolerant to heat.

4.     Aside from "hospitals, archives, and cooling centers for those who are vulnerable to heat” (3), what other facilities and groups do you think need air conditioning?

Ans: Grocery stores, pet stores, animal shelters, care facilities, factories, and gyms would all need air conditioning. People who are sensitive to heat, such as the elderly, those with disabilities, and young children should be able to use air conditioning freely as well.

5.     What does Cox mean in paragraph 5 when he says that the end of air-conditioning will bring paperweights back to of American offices?

Ans: Without air conditioning, people would make use of alternative cooling devices, like fans. Since fans create an air current, people would need to begin using paperweights to keep their papers from blowing off their desks.

 

Purpose and Audience

1.     When Cox's article was published, during a record-breaking national heat wave, he received more than sixty pages of angry emails, including at least one death threat. Why do you suppose his essay generated such strong reactions?

Ans: Many people have grown quite used to air-conditioning and cannot imagine life without it; it has helped make summers much more comfortable and it is hard to deny these benefits. For Cox to suggest that this comfort should be taken away is a challenging idea for many people, especially since his tone is very idealistic and treats this decrease as a very simple task. This, combined with how difficult it is to fully grasp the impacts of air conditioning on global warming, explains the outrage this article generated.

2.     What specific event or situation prompted Cox to write this essay? What other, less immediate causes might have inspired him?

Ans: Cox's essay was published during an intense heat wave; there was probably an enormous amount of air conditioning use around him during this time that prompted him to write this essay.

Cox was born just in time to watch air conditioning rise in popularity; he has been able to see first-hand how its use has evolved over time as it spread from hospitals and businesses to individual homes. Judging by the way he speaks about energy usage contributing to global warming in his first few paragraphs, climate change is likely an issue that was already on the author's mind.

3.     Cox states his thesis in the first sentence of paragraph 3: “A.C.'s obvious public-health benefits during severe heat waves do not justify its lavish use in everyday life for months on end." Do you agree? How does his use of the word lavish reveal his bias? Does this word weaken his thesis?

Ans: I agree with Cox's statement here. Even though I certainly am guilty of the lavish use he describes, I do believe I could get by if I reserved A.C. use for only the hottest days. His use of the word "lavish" shows that he sees excessive air conditioning as selfish and those who overuse it as spoiled; this is his bias. This word, in my opinion, does not weaken his thesis. It is a good word to describe what he means. He is not suggesting that air conditioning should be done away with altogether, but he does think that we have reached a point where we are using it more than we need to.

4.     In paragraph 6, Cox quotes Russell Baker. What does this quotation add to his essay?

Ans: In his quote, Baker cites the relief felt by both the nation and lobbyists when Congress was forced to adjourn during the summer heat. He also raises a point about how costly it maintains congress with the air-conditioning running at full blast.

5.     Do you think Cox is really trying to persuade readers to live in a world without air conditioning, or do you think he has some other, less extreme purpose in mind?

Ans: Cox likely is thinking about a less-extreme version of what he is describing. His tone is extremely optimistic; it would be foolish for someone to genuinely believe that a world like the one he describes is possible. Cox's choice to exaggerate like he did was a way to list as many benefits of reducing A.C. as possible in attempt to persuade the reader.

 

Style and Structure

1.     Does this essay focus on causes or on effects? What specific words does Cox use to indicate this focus?

Ans: This essay focuses on the effects of reducing air conditioning usage. The focus on effects is indicated by phrases like "In a world without air conditioning,", "with the right to open a window,", "With more people spending more time outdoors," and "because of the cooling effect".

2.     In his discussion - of a future air-conditioning-free environment, Cox uses present tense (for example, “Three-digit temperatures prompt siestas,” paragraph 4). Why? What other tense could he have used? Do you think he made the right choice?

Ans. The scenario Cox is describing is a very optimistic one, almost excessively so. It can be difficult to imagine a world in which all of the things Cox discusses actually happen. His use of the present tense makes the effects he discusses feel more immediate and vivid; they seem more plausible in this tense. He could have used the future tense, but his choice to use the present tense was more unexpected, which helps make his writing more interesting.

3.     Paragraph 12 describes a causal chain. Diagram this causal chain. What other causal chains can you identify in this essay?

Ans. Without air conditioning, being outside is more comfortable than being

Inside

 

Neighbors get to know one another outside

High-crime areas become safer

 

People look out for their neighbors

 

Deaths from heat decline

Causal chains can also be found in paragraph 4, when Cox talks about the workplace becoming more relaxed; in paragraph 9, when Cox talks about renovations leading to decreased home utility bills; and in paragraph 14, when he talks about the environment becoming lusher.

4.     Evaluate the effectiveness of Cox's one-sentence conclusion. Does it make sense to close the essay this way? Is it consistent in tone and content with the discussion that precedes it?

Ans: Cox's closing statement was intended to reinforce his idea that reducing air conditioning use would lead to more time outside as well as a more environmentally-friendly world; he is imagining the very consumerist-oriented environment of the mall being replaced by a nature reserve.

This statement is consistent with the rest of his essay, which imagines an alternate reality where such changes His use of this statement as a conclusion is an effective choice because it serves as a symbol for the rest of his ideas.