Today’s column covers a smorgasbord of topics.
We are in the midst of a heat wave. How can we reduce air conditioning load and stay cool? Several ideas include blocking the sun’s heat by closing blinds and reducing sunlight through the windows and planting trees to create shade.
Insulation not only keeps the cold out in the winter, it keeps the hot out in the summer.
When nights are cool, open windows in the late evening and close them mid-morning. Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs (they do not get very hot).
Fans take little energy and can be used to reduce how low we keep the AC thermostat. I like to cook outdoors on our gas grill. I put a pizza stone over the center burner (which is off) and use the grill as an oven. If you have outdoor outlets, you can cook with your electric pressure cooker outside to reduce heat inside.
The next topic is “COVID precautions in retrospect.” According to US News and World Report (USnews.com), “A majority of Americans see four key pandemic policies as ‘generally a good idea’ in retrospect … Mask requirements in stores and businesses (70%); Healthcare worker vaccination requirements (65%); Indoor dining closures (63%); and Closing public schools (56%) …”
GM recently announced it has reduced the number of electric cars (EVs) it will manufacture in this coming year because demand for EVs is significantly lower than expected. I am wondering if this resistance to EVs will affect the battery plants going up in our area. The good news, however, is that more people are buying EVs in the U.S. (just not as many as anticipated), and they are catching on well in Europe and a number of nations. I suspect we will be okay.
Are we going green, or just not polluting more as we add to the electric grid? It seems the new sources of clean energy (like solar and wind) and new nuclear plants are adding much power to the grid. But that additional power is merely keeping up with growing demand. It will be a few years before we actually begin reducing electricity made from fossil fuels.
The legalization of recreational marijuana is becoming the norm. With increased use in society, we are seeing more problems within society. According to a UPI article by Ernie Mundell, “As marijuana use becomes legal and more accepted across America, more seniors are developing unhealthy relationships with the drug, a new report suggests.
“A look at data on almost 56 million Medicare beneficiaries finds ‘rates of health care encounters with cannabis-related disorders increased from 2017 through 2022,’ according to a study led by Dr. Silvia Perez-Vilar, of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The numbers showed a steady increase in cannabis-linked medical care among seniors over the five years of the study.
“By 2022, ‘rates were greatest in states or territories with both adult and medical use legalization,’ the team found, with about 45 such cases recorded for every 10,000 Medicare claims. … In states where marijuana use was still illegal for either recreational or medical reasons, the rate of weed-linked claims among seniors fell to 27.7 cases per 10,000, Perez-Vilar’s team said.”
Next is another example of not-so-intelligent Artificial Intelligence. According to a recent BBC article by Tom Gerken,“McDonald’s is removing artificial intelligence (AI) powered ordering technology from its drive-through restaurants in the US, after customers shared its comical mishaps online.
“A trial of the system, which was developed by IBM and uses voice recognition software to process orders, was announced in 2019.
“It has not proved entirely reliable, however, resulting in viral videos of bizarre misinterpreted orders ranging from bacon-topped ice cream to hundreds of dollars’ worth of chicken nuggets.
“McDonald’s told franchisees it would remove the tech from the more than 100 restaurants it has been testing it in by the end of July, as first reported by trade publication Restaurant Business.”
Of course I know a few bacon fanatics who might want bacon-topped ice cream!
After the chuckle, we soberly remind ourselves that AI will be back at McDonald’s — and almost everywhere else. Let’s hope we can somehow keep it from taking over.
Ed Vasicek is a retired pastor and long time Kokomo resident who has been writing for the Tribune since 1999.