Tuesday, August 01, 2006

HELL ON EARTH

No, I'm not talking about Communist Cuba. I'm talking about the 95 degree, 60% humidity, heat index of 110 weather we're having here in the nation's capital! Man, it's nasty outside.

I'm telling you, I've been to Arizona on 115 degree days and it does NOT compare to 95 degrees and 60% humidity.

And on top of this, I just got the following email via DC's Emergency Alert System:

The Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments has issued a code red air quality alert for tomorrow. This forecast means air quality is expected to be unhealthy for all individuals. Children, the elderly and individuals with heart or respiratory ailments, emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis should reduce outdoor activities. Healthy individuals should limit strenuous outdoor work or exercise and outdoor activities. Approximately 60-70 percent of the pollutants that cause ground-level ozone are created from vehicles, lawn mowers, other garden equipment and common household products. In order to prevent high levels of ozone from forming:
  • Limit driving and when possible, combine trips or telework.
  • Use area bus and rail lines or carpool. Many area transit systems, including Fairfax Connector, offer free rides on code red days.
  • Avoid mowing lawns with gasoline-powered motors.
  • Refuel vehicles after dusk. Avoid idling.
  • Use environmentally friendly products.
  • Conserve electricity, keep air conditioning no lower than 78 degrees.
What's next?

UPDATE: I can answer my own question. THIS is next. Now I get to wait in overheated underground Metro stations, for cars that will be running warmer, slower and more infrequently than usual. And this is supposed to "ensure its more than one million daily customers and several thousand employees are prepared for the heat" according to Metro. I think if anything, it will generate even more heat.

UGH. I wanna go home now.

1 comment:

an orange county girl said...

this was my favorite part of the WMATA announcement: Metro is also in the process of upgrading the cooling system in rail stations over the next four years. This project will include the replacement of eight cooling towers, five chiller units, and 40 station air-conditioning units.

ummm...can we speed up this process? it's already hot as hades. i don't think i can wait 4 years.