“Summer will end soon enough”*…
As temperatures across the globe continue to rise, one might look to areas accustomed to extreme heat for tips on how to cope…
More helpful hints at “Genius/bizarre/insane methods of beating the summer sun- Vietnam style.”
[Vietnamnet.vn, via Dangerous Minds]
* George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
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As we search for shade, we might recall that it was on his date in 1934 that Thomas Midgley and a team of scientists working for Charles Kettering at GM’s Dayton Research subsidiary filed for a set of patents covering the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)– specifically, Freon– in refrigeration (and ultimately, air conditioning and aerosols). Midgley had earlier developed the tetraethyllead (TEL) additive to gasoline– that is, leaded gas– an effort from which he contracted lead poisoning.
While both of these inventions have been effectively banned for their contributions to climate change, they were celebrated in their time. Indeed, in 1941 Midgley was awarded the Priestley Medal (the American Chemical Society’s highest honor).
