Things To Look Forward To With Peak Oil, #4

COOLER CITIES IN THE SUMMER

When I leave the city to hang out at my country cabin, it is always noticeably cooler out there, by at least 5 degrees if not 10. The city is an incubator in the summer, with a blanket of smog hovering above us, trapping in the heat produced by the million cars and trucks (and factories and construction sites and industry...) always on the go. As vehicles retire permanently, the smog trap will (hopefully) cease to form, and the main source of heat (and pollution) will also be quieted. Ahhhhh. Of course, the concrete and buildings and glass towers will be a heat sink forever, but time might also allow green growth to slowly cover these thermal surfaces and turn into a cooling source of moisture and shade. Can you imagine it?

Winters will also change. Temperatures will drop for the same reason as above for summertime, which will mean the return of actual snow. It might even stay white longer. Our lake will be thankful for not being fed salt and brine, too.