A Refrigerator Seems Silly When it’s Below Zero
January 19th, 2008 Posted in DomicileIt’s currently 11 degrees below zero. The expected high today is 2 degrees below zero. Wind chill could be -35 to -45.
So it struck me as odd this morning when I felt a rush of cold air from the fridge as I pulled out the milk and orange juice. It’s freezing outside. So we heat our homes. But then we need some things cold, so we use even more energy to refrigerate a box within that heated home. I could set my ice cream on the porch and do the same thing for free.
I understand all the ways a fridge is necessary and helpful, and I don’t have any better ideas. I’m just saying it’s kind of funny when you think about the contradictory efforts we go to for the sake of convenience.
2 Responses to “A Refrigerator Seems Silly When it’s Below Zero”
By Paul on Feb 2, 2008
Libby’s aunt & uncle who live off the grid have a root cellar. Her parents tend to set a lot of leftovers on the porch in winter.
How about using purified & flourinated water to flush your poop? I think it falls into the same category as the fridge thing.
By Kevin on Feb 5, 2008
Amen, Paul. I ranted about using perfectly good water to flush the toilet back in May. I haven’t come up with a solution (like putting a bucket under the sink), but I do try to minimize my water usage in general.