此时想起自己的家――济南，我生活了很多年的一个中国中部城市。这些年，我们中国的城市汽车越来越多，道路越来越拥挤。路旁的楼房也越来越高，越来越密集了，但楼房的窗台上很少摆放鲜花，每一个窗下几乎都挂着大大小小的空调。每当酷暑来临，我们的各种媒体上都会有商家销xx调的报道，比如{yt}售出几百台，或是一个月售出几千台。但是却没有人去计算这么多氟利昂制冷会产生多少有害气体，这么多空调又会消耗多少能源，排放多少二氧化碳？夏天，我去开会，一些会议室的空调开得很大，温度低得让人发冷，还有的办公室甚至开着窗子吹空调。
尽管Bamberg的夏天也有很炎热的日子，但居民楼房都没有装空调，大多数商店和公共汽车上也没有空调。我曾想人们怎么度过夏天呢？那里的朋友告诉我，即使{zg}温度达到摄氏42度的日子，人们也只是用各种其它方法避暑。比如，他们到河边去，到树林里去，或是吹电扇，喝冷饮，但就是不装空调。他们说，空调是造成温室气体的原因之一，要保护环境，就要减少这些气体的排放。这话让我很感动――为了保护环境，人就要作出牺牲。但有多少人能够这样自觉地去实践呢？
人类是从远古走来的，不同的人种都有过与风霜雨雪、酷暑严冬的搏斗经历。正是因为这些锻炼和忍耐，人类才进化了，有了健壮的体魄和聪明的头脑。而现代文明却让人对工业产品有了越来越多的依赖，人们的耐受力正在下降。夏天，一些人吹电扇已经不能满足散热的需要了，他们白天要开着空调工作，晚上还要开着空调睡觉。尤其是一些孩子，已经成为“空调一代”，冬天不冷，夏天不热，变得经不起风吹日晒……
Bamberg的朋友们说，自然环境是人类生命延续的保障，有了良好的自然环境，人们才能有更好的生活质量。这里山青水绿，鸟鸣花香，令人心旷神怡。而且绿色多了，也能调节气温。
中国科技部发布的《全民节能减排手册》指出，即使只是出门前3分钟关空调，按每台每年可节电约5度的保守估计, 相应减排4.8千克。如果对中国1.5亿台空调都采取这一措施, 那么每年可节电约7.5亿度, 减排72万吨。
夏天你可以不用空调吗，或者至少是可减少它的使用？你是希望看到楼房窗台上摆放着鲜花呢,还是更愿意看到窗下挂着嗡嗡作响的空调？
(张海迪，中国xx作家和翻译家。她5岁就高位截瘫,但身残志坚，自学成才，成为轰动全中国的英雄人物。)
June 19, 2008
If Chinese citizens turned their cooling off three minutes early, carbon emissions could be radically reduced. Zhang Haidi, recalling the beauty of floral window boxes, says it’s a small sacrifice.
The narrow streets of , a charming old
town in the German state of , are hard to
forget. I am particularly fond of the windows, many of which are
decorated with window boxes of flowers displaying a profusion of
colours.
And then I think of , the eastern Chinese
city where I lived for many years. The number of cars in Chinese
cities has rocketed in recent years, with roads becoming ever more
congested. The buildings alongside those roads have become taller
and more numerous – and instead of window boxes full of flowers,
the only decoration on the outside of Chinese buildings tends to be
air-conditioning units.<!--[if
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As summer approaches, the news media carry
reports of air-conditioning manufacturers’ sales promotions, with
hundreds of new systems being sold in a single day, thousands in a
single month. But there’s no mention of the ozone-depleting
substances produced by some refrigerant gases, or how much power
these appliances will consume and the associated emissions of
carbon dioxide (). In
summertime business meetings, the air conditioning often is on at
full blast, leaving attendees shivering. Sometimes a window is even
left open to let some cold air out.
Summer in Bamberg can also be scorching, but no homes have air
conditioning, and very few shops or buses do either. I used to
wonder how they survived the summer. A friend told me that even
though the temperature can reach 42º Celsius (about 107º
Fahrenheit), the locals have their ways of coping with the heat:
take a walk by the river; sit under the trees; use an electric fan;
have a cold drink – but do not install air conditioning. They know
that air conditioning produces and, to protect the environment, emission of those gases
needs to be reduced.
I was impressed. To protect the environment, the people of Bamberg
were willing to make a sacrifice. But how many people are able to
put this into practice?
Humanity has always struggled with the weather.
It is one of the processes that helped us evolve into strong and
intelligent creatures. But our modern civilisation sees us rely
more and more on the products of industry, and our resilience is
decreasing. Some feel that a simple electric fan is not enough to
keep them cool in summer and that they need air conditioning, even
while they sleep. Some children have become part of an
“air-conditioned generation”: they don’t get hot in summer or cold
in winter, and are unable to cope with either wind or
sun.
My friend in Bamberg said that the natural environment is essential
for humanity’s continued survival. Improved quality of life depends
on a good natural environment -- green hills and clear water,
wildlife and flowers. Not only do these leave us happy and
carefree, they also help to regulate the
temperature.
China's Ministry of Science and Technology has published a handbook on ways the public can reduce energy use and emissions. One way is to turn off your air conditioning three minutes before you leave the house, rather than as you walk out the door. At a conservative estimate, one person doing this would save five kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.8 kilogrammes. If all the users of China's 150 million air-conditioning units did the same, 750 million kWh of electricity could be saved annually, with CO2 emissions reduced by 720,000 tonnes.
Could you do without air conditioning in summer, or at least reduce its use? Would you rather see flower boxes or humming machines on the window sills of buildings?
Let us know on the forum what you think.
Zhang Haidi is a well-known writer and translator in China. Paralysed from the waist down since the age of five, she is self-taught and has become an influential figure in China.
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