Life without air conditioners.
Of all of the great inventions that have come along in the history of mankind, it is hard not to put the invention of electricity right up at the top, as so many other inventions since seem to be dependent upon it. Lighting, television, radio, and all of our home appliances quickly come to mind next. They are such an integral part of our daily lives that we now regularly take them for granted. And flying right under the radar is the invention of air conditioning, a feature that is so important in our lives for many health reasons as well as comfort reasons that one is compelled to ask where would we be without it?
For instance, without air conditioning, summer time becomes unbearable in many countries that are near the equator like Pakistan. Temperatures can reach over 45 degrees celsius in cities like Karachi for several days at a time. This is the reason why at some points, city officials advise that residents limit their outdoor activities during the day. This includes jogging, shopping or even gardening.
So let’s imagine if these homes have no air conditioning unit in any of the homes. Then, it really wouldn’t make much of a difference whether they were inside or outside. In fact, they wouldn't have anywhere to go so as to get maximum comfort. In actuality, comfort would be the least of their worries. Trying to avoid a heat stroke and dehydration would be the primary objective. This is the main reason why having a reliable air conditioning unit is so important.
A severe heat wave with temperatures as high as 49 °C (120 °F) struck southern Pakistan in June 2015. It caused the deaths of about 2,000 people from dehydration and heat stroke, mostly in Sindh province and its capital city, Karachi. The heat wave also claimed the lives of zoo animals and countless agricultural livestock. At the peak of the June 2015 heat wave, the number of corpses exceeded local capacities for storage or burial, as the emergency efforts proved insufficient to prevent enormous loss of life.
Clearly, the development of the air conditioning system is a necessity, not just to bring comfort to everyday lives but also to create favourable environments for the people.
