One thing we have learnt this week – male female heating conflict

800px-Intertherm_Mechanical_ThermostatAt a stroke scientists may have solved one of mankind’s greatest mysteries – the male female heating conflict.  Male female heating conflict?  Anyone who lives with someone of the opposite sex knows exactly what I mean.  Men want the heating off and women want the opposite.  It happens in our house (I’m heavily outnumbered), male female heating conflict always happened in my parents house and now this week there seems to be an answer at last.

The research published in the journal  “Nature Climate Change” after following men and women in an climate simulator doing light office work suggests that differences in metabolism are responsible.  Women’s metabolisms run at a slower rate than men’s.  Men are comfortable at 22 degrees C women aren’t.  There is a general issue here in that the nature of work has changed from heavy manual labour to light office work and over the same time period the levels that homes and work are maintained at have soared.  I’ve always assumed the reason was men generally have more fat/hair than women and this was the explanation for the male female heating conflict.  I was wrong.   There is also psychology involved as if I switch the heating off the female  members of the household don’t moan since they think the heat is still on…  I also know exceptions to the rule men who find the house colder than women.

This blog is a slightly light hearted look at the issue, but it raises a vital issue.  Not only for climate change but also peak oil.  One of the biggest problems we will have to face in the future is renewable heat, as we have outlined in our book. i.e how we heat our houses.  It unlikely we will be able to heat hem to as hot as we currently do.

 

Neil

This entry was posted in climate change, energy conservation, energy costs, Lifestyle, One thing we have learnt this week, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *