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People didn’t “used to be fine” without air conditioning during heat waves in the U.S. - a lot more people *just died*. According to this study, air conditioning has cut heat deaths in the U.S. by around 80% since 1960. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

papers.ssrn.comAdapting to Climate Change: The Remarkable Decline in the U.S. Temperature-Mortality Relationship Over the 20th CenturyThis paper examines the temperature-mortality relationship over the course of the 20th century US both for its own interest and to identify potentially useful a

Maryn McKenna

@marynmck.bsky.social

13 July 2025

In the Southern US, people also used to die of insect-borne diseases because they sat outside on the porch to catch a breeze. The diminishment of malaria in the south (the reason the CDC was founded) was due to rural electrification as much as to DDT.

🇨🇦DM ME RECIPES🇨🇦

@professorrecipes.substack.com

There's a story in my mom's family from shortly after the moon landing, my mom had a school project where she had to ask older relatives what they thought was the most important invention in their lives. Her great aunt's answer was window screens.

14/7/25, 2:05 pm1 repost11 likes

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