Indoor Climate Change

Get ready - climate change is coming indoors. 

Welcome to our brave, less wasteful world, where the 5 second rule has been increased to 30 seconds, and the official room temperature has been decreased from 20-25 to 18-19 degrees Celsius.

Some European countries are threatening to fine and jail citizens that heat their homes past 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees F.), even though it seems impossible to police such a policy. 

Fines are also proposed for people that "overheat" water in residential hot water tanks.

I'm predicting that hot water heaters will become warm water heaters as standard temperature settings are lowered. Or for the really thrifty, how about the new tepid water heater model?

You can see where things are going. It is quite the challenge we have before us.

After decades of encouraging consumers to waste as much everything as possible in order to fluff corporate bottom lines, we are now on notice that waste will no longer be tolerated.

I wonder if that means that cars will only be designed to go as fast as the speed limit? Or that planned obsolescence will be made illegal, punishable by revocation of corporate charters?

Will they make a setting for dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers that prevent start up until there is a full load inside?

I can see outdoor laundry lines going from "prohibited" to "mandatory".

How about showers that won't start unless there are two (or more) people in them?

I am all for improving the efficiency of life, but recognize that it is going to be very hard when human nature encourages us to take advantage of energy sources as much as we are able.

The transition before us is going to be difficult. Best grab a sweater, and designate who your preferred snuggler will be for the winter. 

And don't forget those natural heating units known as pets.