Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: A failure of progress: seven air-cons to sleep at night

A failure of progress: seven air-cons to sleep at night

When policy, formulation as well as 'progress' go awry

Feeling a heat? Reading Bernama's inform Heatwave a boon for air-con suppliers may have a little people get prohibited under a collar: it tells of a middle-class home-owner with energy bills of RM330-380 a month running seven air-cons. Many Klang Valley residents live similarly, as well as will not be repelled by a story. They'll see it a symbol of achievement, a ability to compensate high physical phenomenon bills every month, carrying all bought in to a consumer enlightenment as a symbol of "modernity".

Modernity. Progress? Or a sign of society's failure? A disaster by government, universities, architects as well as developers, as well as large business? A disaster to understanding with a reality which you live in a humid equatorial country, where a temperature operation of 27C to 35C is normal, as well as houses as well as cities must be programmed as well as built thus so which people can live as well as work absolutely in short sleeves, not in three-piece suits made for cold climes. Thanks to alien westernised temperate-climate values, sweaters, three-piece suits as well as legwarmers seem to be in vogue as well as modern. So, too, with a temperate-climate values which imbue a civic as well as suburban cityscape of "modern" Malaysia.

No sign of a tropics in this city

A disaster of govt, varsities, architects as well as builders

When an standard family has to install air-conditioners in a family home because it is as well warm to nap during night, it is not progress though failure:

Failure of governments to recognize which you live in a pleasant nation as well as to plan accordingly, with policies upon housing design, building materials, as well as construction, as well as civic formulation which recognises a nee! d to cut heat, restore a natural change as well as allow for vital absolutely in pleasant conditions. Instead policies have been (and usually are) driven by large commercial operation out for a buck, or have been designed to look good for political capital.

The budding apportion once suggested which people who live in flats should have electric dryers for their laundry instead of hanging them out in a sun. Unsightly, he said.

Failure of universities to control research as well as studies in to pleasant housing design as well as pleasant civic planning, as well as provide input for, as well as proslytise a need for realistic supervision policies formed upon enlightenment as well as climate.

Failure of architects to design for mass housing most befitting for pleasant conditions, as well as to convince builders as well as developers of a need for such designs;
Failure of city councils as well as civic planners to plan pleasant cities with pleasant greenery, with provision to dissipate feverishness as well as rain, as well as not allow Los Angeles-style civic sprawl commanded by housing developers or consumers brainwashed in to anticipating temperate lifestyles with homes to suit;

Failure of a media to inform or break down in to parts anyt! hing som e-more than what skill developers say
Failure of multitude itself for shopping in to a "development is good" argument but weighing a consequences, or perfectionist some-more from supervision as well as a housing industry.

"We have been staying there for almost 8 years, as well as you could see a persisting developmentYeah, which really tiny housing areas will turn in to a brand new township fills with excitements. Will have shopping malls, with cinemas as well as more!" 'Development' envy among consumers drives civic sprawl, rejecting aged values.

Waiting to be 'developed' in to a feverishness sink

Here's a standard situation: 15 acres in town waiting for a skill developer to bring bulldozers to slice up a kampung. Away with a shady sea almond trees, a coconut trees as well as banana plants, a chicken coops, as well as a wooden houses. Let a media describe them as "dilapidated shacks" to be replaced with moderity: brick, cement, concrete, potion as well as asphalt, ready to soak up a pleasant object as well as illuminate some-more heat. Surrounding a houses have been a four-lane main road as well as a six-lane main road with overpasses, as well as other houses, shops as well as offices. All feverishness sinks, just like a cars, lorries as well as buses which ply a busy roads. And they all run upon air-conditioning.

Houses built for energy companies as well as air-con suppliers

Subang Jaya resident: 2 storey house with seven air-cons, one any in vital room, 4 bedrooms, study, dining room; they run for three to 4 hours during night. "We cannot open a windows after 6pm as a mosquitoes will come in." Electricity cost: RM330-RM380 a month.
! Bandar C ountry Homes resident, Rawang: "When we switch upon a ceiling air blower during night, a air which swirls inside my room is hot. When we open my windows, a mosquitoes start to fly in. Air-conditioning helps, though a physical phenomenon bill will positively go up."

Progress, right?

A city which walks with air-conditioning

Even starting for a travel can now be done in air-conditioning: a brand new towering pedestrian corridor in Kuala Lumpur lets shoppers travel from Bukit Bintang shops to KLCC shops. Sponsored by Petronas: your petro-ringgit during work, profitable for some-more electricity. (And who supplies it?)

Cool, right?Progress. Right?

*Links to a studies upon top of have been examples of a little local research upon civic formulation as well as housing. No criticism of a authors, calm or vigilant is implied.

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