tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/cold-43452/articlesCold – The Conversation2024-03-05T14:00:28Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2225712024-03-05T14:00:28Z2024-03-05T14:00:28ZLithium-ion batteries don’t work well in the cold − a battery researcher explains the chemistry at low temperatures<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579001/original/file-20240229-20-z7oy0y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2120%2C1414&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why do batteries lose charge more quickly when it's cold? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-charging-electric-car-in-front-his-cabin-in-royalty-free-image/1977511649?phrase=battery+cold&adppopup=true">Halfpoint Images/Moment</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rechargeable batteries are great for storing energy and powering electronics from smartphones to electric vehicles. In cold environments, however, they can be more difficult to charge and may even catch on fire. </p>
<p>I’m a mechanical engineering professor who’s been interested in batteries since college. I now lead a <a href="https://research.drexel.edu/mem/changlab">battery research group</a> at Drexel University. </p>
<p>In just this past decade, I have watched the <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-hit-record-low-of-139-kwh/">price of lithium-ion batteries drop</a> as the production market <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2023/trends-in-batteries">has grown much larger</a>. Future projections predict the market could reach <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/battery-2030-resilient-sustainable-and-circular">thousands of GWh per year by 2030</a>, a significant increase. </p>
<p>But, lithium-ion batteries aren’t perfect – this rise comes with risks, such as their tendency to slow down during cold weather and even catch on fire.</p>
<h2>Behind the Li-ion battery</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/electrochemical-energy-storage">electrochemical energy storage</a> within batteries works by storing electricity <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ion-physics">in the form of ions</a>. Ions are atoms that have a nonzero charge because they have either too many or not enough electrons. </p>
<p>When you plug in your electric car or phone, the electricity provided by the outlet <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-1psMHSpKs&ab_channel=TheLimitingFactor">drives these ions</a> from the battery’s positive electrode into its negative electrode. The electrodes are solid materials in a battery that can store ions, and all batteries have both a positive and a negative electrode. </p>
<p>Electrons pass through the battery as electricity. With each electron that passes to one electrode, a lithium ion also passes into the same electrode. This ensures the balance of charges in the battery. As you drive your car, the stored ions in the negative electrode move back to the positive electrode, and the resulting flow of electricity powers the motor. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram showing three boxes, one labeled cathode, one labeled electrolyte, and one labeled anode. Small circles representing lithium ions move to the anode to charge and the cathode to discharge." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578759/original/file-20240228-8828-q6kh1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When a lithium-ion battery delivers energy to a device, lithium ions – atoms that carry an electrical charge – move from the negative electrode, the anode, to the positive electrode, the cathode. The ions move in reverse when recharging.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/5029455937">Argonne National Laboratory</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While AA or AAA batteries can power small electronics, they can be used only once and cannot be charged. Rechargeable Li-ion batteries can operate for thousands of cycles of full charge and discharge. For each cycle, they can also store a much higher amount of charge than an AA or AAA battery.</p>
<p>Since lithium is the lightest metal, it has a high <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C3EE40795K">specific capacity</a>, meaning it can store a <a href="https://chang-lab.notion.site/How-To-Become-a-Battery-Expert-20a8edebe395403c9a158d7caca06ef4?pvs=4">huge amount of charge per weight</a>. This is why lithium-ion batteries are useful not just for portable electronics but for powering modes of transportation with limited weight or volume, such as electric cars. </p>
<h2>Battery fires</h2>
<p>However, lithium-ion batteries have risks that AA or AAA batteries don’t. For one, they’re more likely to catch on fire. For example, the number of <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/e-bike-battery-fires-keep-climbing-in-nyc">electric bike battery fires</a> reported in New York City has increased from 30 to nearly 300 in the past five years. </p>
<p>Lots of different issues can cause a battery fire. Poorly manufactured cells could contain defects, such as trace impurities or particles left behind from the manufacturing process, that increase the risk of an internal failure. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A car in a garage is on fire with the door cracked open, a firefighter carrying a hose runs towards it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578754/original/file-20240228-30-b8mmfs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have a higher risk of catching on fire when it’s cold out.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ElectricCarsBatteryFires/0624a4c4cadb4ee0be42d58b8aab0161/photo?Query=ev%20battery%20fire&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=300&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=0&vs=true&vs=true">Orange County Sheriff’s Department/National Transportation Safety Board via AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Climate can also affect battery operation. <a href="https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/">Electric vehicle sales</a> have increased across the U.S., particularly in cold regions such as the Northeast and Midwest, where the frigid temperatures can hinder battery performance. </p>
<p>Batteries contain fluids called electrolytes, and cold temperatures cause fluids to flow more slowly. So, the electrolytes in batteries slow and thicken in the cold, causing the lithium ions inside to move slower. This slowdown can prevent the lithium ions from properly inserting into the electrodes. Instead, they may deposit on the electrode surface and form <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2020.100035">lithium metal</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G_TCFgEdEGc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The molecules in fluids move slower at colder temperatures – the same thing happens inside batteries.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If too much lithium deposits on the electrode’s surface during charging, it may cause an internal short circuit. This process can <a href="https://theconversation.com/lithium-ion-battery-fires-are-a-growing-public-safety-concern-heres-how-to-reduce-the-risk-209359">start a battery fire</a>.</p>
<h2>Making safer batteries</h2>
<p><a href="https://research.coe.drexel.edu/mem/changlab">My research group</a>, along with many others, is studying how to make batteries that operate more efficiently in the cold. </p>
<p>For example, researchers are exploring swapping out the usual battery electrolyte and replacing it with an alternative electrolyte that doesn’t thicken at cold temperatures. Another potential option is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/01/19/electric-vehicle-battery-cold/">heating up the battery pack</a> before charging so that the charging process occurs at a warmer temperature. </p>
<p>My group is also investigating new types of batteries beyond lithium ion. These could be battery types that are more stable at wider temperature ranges, types that don’t even use liquid electrolytes at all, or batteries that use sodium instead of lithium. <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/11/1072865/how-sodium-could-change-the-game-for-batteries/">Sodium-ion batteries</a> could work well and cost less, as sodium is a very abundant resource.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-023-01208-9">Solid-state batteries</a> use solid electrolytes that aren’t flammable, which reduces the risk of fire. But these batteries don’t work quite as well as Li-ion batteries, so it’ll take more research to tell whether these are a good option.</p>
<p>Lithium-ion batteries power technologies that people across the country use every day, and research in these areas aims to find solutions that will make this technology even safer for the consumer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222571/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wesley Chang receives funding from Solid Energy Systems, Inc., Electric Power Research Institute, Drexel University. Wesley Chang consults for The Electrochemical Society. </span></em></p>Electric vehicles are catching on across the US, but they’re also catching on fire in colder regions like the Northeast and Midwest.Wesley Chang, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2228632024-02-12T04:57:01Z2024-02-12T04:57:01ZCurious Kids: why do we shiver when we feel cold?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574832/original/file-20240212-26-pv68gh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C0%2C3748%2C2496&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-froze-teenage-caucasian-girl-shivering-2017458494">Georgy Dzyura/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p><strong>“Why do we shiver when we feel cold?” – Syeda, age 10, from Karachi</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291898/original/file-20190911-190031-enlxbk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=90&fit=crop&dpr=1" width="100%"></a></p>
<p>What a cool question, Syeda!</p>
<p>Our bodies like to be nice and warm, usually <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK331/">around 37°C</a>. This allows our internal functions to work at their best. But our bodies are constantly losing heat to the outside air.</p>
<p>When it’s cold outside, or if we jump into a cold swimming pool, or even if the air-conditioning is a bit strong, our body temperature can lower, sometimes to levels that are uncomfortable.</p>
<p>If our body temperature drops too low, our heart, nervous system and other organs are not able to work <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/coldstress/coldrelatedillnesses.html">normally</a>. If it falls to extremely low temperatures, called hypothermia, this can cause some organs to <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682">completely fail</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-my-hands-and-feet-always-cold-and-when-should-i-be-worried-184154">Why are my hands and feet always cold? And when should I be worried?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Luckily, our bodies have their own internal heaters to protect us against small changes in temperature. This is mostly thanks to the actions of our muscles, through a process called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507838/">thermoregulation</a>. It’s this process that leads our bodies to shiver when we’re chilly.</p>
<h2>Muscles are our bodies’ personal heaters</h2>
<p>When our muscles twitch, they generate <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/christian_moro_the_surprising_reason_our_muscles_get_tired">movement</a>. This is called “muscle contraction”, and can involve the muscles tightening and shortening. </p>
<p>Muscle contractions help us walk around, smile, lift heavy objects and high-five each other.</p>
<p>Moving our muscles also generates a bit of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/excretion/Types-of-waste-metabolic-and-nonmetabolic">heat</a>. With many <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqwGTso2Wmc">muscles moving</a> most of the time, this helps our bodies stay nice and warm.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman shivering." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574266/original/file-20240208-24-1hlrj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We’ll often hunch our necks, tense up, and rub our shoulders when cold. Shivering usually follows to help warm us up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Christian Moro</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The more our muscles move, the more heat they generate. This is why you might feel hot and bothered after running around or playing sports.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when we stop moving our muscles, we start to cool down. This is one of the reasons we cover up with bedsheets at night.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-women-might-feel-the-cold-more-than-men-heres-why-184329">Yes, women might 'feel the cold' more than men. Here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about the shiver?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3167123/">Shivering</a> is the rapid contractions of our muscles over and over. This doesn’t generate any significant movement, but instead releases heat that helps to warm us up.</p>
<p>Most of the time we don’t have control over when our brain tells our muscles to shiver. We have special sensors throughout our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507838/">body</a> that pick up when our system is cold, and our brain then responds by telling the muscles to start shivering.</p>
<p>And we aren’t the only ones who shiver! All <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/energy-flow-through-ecosystems/a/animal-temperature-regulation-strategies">mammals</a> have the ability to shiver, so your pet cat or dog might shiver when they’re cold too. Even <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/how-do-birds-keep-warm-winter">birds</a> shiver.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-if-our-bodies-are-happy-at-37-why-do-we-feel-so-unhappy-when-its-too-hot-outside-159134">Curious Kids: if our bodies are happy at 37℃, why do we feel so unhappy when it's too hot outside?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When it’s a chilly day outside, you might also notice you get <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/wondering-about-goosebumps-of-course-you-are-2020080320688">goosebumps</a>. Goosebumps happen when tiny muscles connected to the hair follicles (from which our hair grows) tighten. This causes the little hairs on our arms to stand up, helping to trap in warm air and slow down body heat loss to the outside.</p>
<h2>How can you ‘chill out’ your shiver?</h2>
<p>Thermoregulation is key to maintaining a nice, consistent body temperature, which keeps our internal organs happy.</p>
<p>While shivering can help us warm up, it’s best to make sure you wear the right clothes if you’re going to be out in the cold.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, Curious Kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222863/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Shivering actually helps warm our bodies up.Charlotte Phelps, Senior Teaching Fellow, Medical Program, Bond UniversityChristian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208182024-02-02T13:17:06Z2024-02-02T13:17:06ZHow can I get ice off my car? An engineer who studies airborne particles shares some quick and easy techniques<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572255/original/file-20240130-29-7n5wna.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C3%2C1024%2C763&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Condensation and cold combine to create that layer of ice on car windshields in winter. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oblodzone_szyby_samochodu,_zima_2009_%28ubt%29.jpeg">Tomasz Sienicki/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you live somewhere that gets cold in the winter, you’ve probably seen cars parked outdoors covered in a thin layer of ice on a chilly morning. But what causes this frost, and how can you get rid of it quickly?</p>
<p>I’m a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xcpTqRYAAAAJ&hl=en">mechanical engineering professor</a> who studies how water vapor interacts with airborne particles under different atmospheric conditions. Frosty windshields are similar to some of the thermodynamic questions I study in the lab, and they’re also a pesky issue that I deal with every winter on my way to work. </p>
<h2>Windshield condensation</h2>
<p>The air in Earth’s atmosphere always contains a certain amount of water vapor, but there’s only so much water vapor the air can hold. Scientists call that limit 100% <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/humidity">relative humidity</a>. <a href="https://www.weather.gov/arx/why_dewpoint_vs_humidity">The dew point</a> refers to the temperature at which relative humidity reaches 100%. </p>
<p>Wet air has high dew point temperature, while dry air has a low dew point temperature. With each degree drop in temperature, the air gets closer to its dew point temperature – or its water vapor carrying capacity. Any cooling after the dew point temperature has been reached causes <a href="https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ocean-observation/understanding-climate/air-and-water/">water to condense onto surfaces</a>, or form into fog.</p>
<p>Overnight, car windshields facing the cold dark sky are <a href="https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/principles-heating-and-cooling">radiatively cooled</a>, meaning they release heat out into their surrounding area in the form of visible and invisible light. As air comes in contact with the cold windshield, it can reach its dew point temperature. Then, the water vapor condenses onto the windshield.</p>
<p>When this radiative cooling drops the temperature on the windshield’s surface to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/freezing-point">below the freezing point</a>, 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius), the layer of condensed water on the windshield turns to frost. </p>
<h2>Defrosting your car</h2>
<p>To defrost an icy windshield, you can follow a few different approaches, some of which take longer and require more effort than others.</p>
<p>One option is to directly spray a small amount of warm liquid on the layer of frost to help melt it. For this approach to work, the spray liquid must be hot enough to raise the overall temperature of the frost layer to above <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ptable/melting-point/">the melting point</a>. But the temperature can’t be way hotter than the temperature of the glass or you’ll crack your windshield. </p>
<p>A better way to melt the ice without damaging your car is to spray your windows with a warm liquid that has a lower freezing point than water, like a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. This warm mixture will melt the frost layer without heating up the glass, and the resulting liquid layer on the windshield will have a lower freezing point than water. It will remain liquid, and you can wipe it away with your windshield wipers. </p>
<p>Similar alcohol and water mixtures – <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/glycol">glycol, for example</a> – are commonly used to maintain the <a href="https://mayekawa.es/images/pdf/ASHRAE_ENERGY_EFFICIENT_ICE_RINK_2015.pdf">icy surface of skating rinks</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A2Kl04dHm4k?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A mix of water and rubbing alcohol can melt ice on your windshield.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This approach can melt the ice reasonably quickly and easily, without too much effort. You don’t even have to turn on your car. </p>
<p>If you have a little more time, you can start the car and run <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/how-do-car-defrosters-work-534663">the air defrost system</a> to blow hot air – aim for above 80 degrees Fahrenheit – onto the inside of the windshield. This warms the windshield and will eventually melt the frost layer. Once you see some melting, you can use the windshield wipers to wipe the rest of the ice away. </p>
<p>This option consumes more energy, as your car will have to heat up the windshield, but it doesn’t require you to do much. </p>
<p>Using the defrost system to blow warm air toward the windshield will also help to clear the inside of the windshield when it gets fogged up from condensation. Otherwise, if it’s dry outside, you can also clear up windshield fog by opening the car window and letting in outside air.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person wearing a winter jacket uses a scraper on their frost-covered windshield." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572257/original/file-20240130-23-r3f30r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can use an ice scraper to break the ice on your windshield into chunks, so your wiper blades can clean them off.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/ColoradoWeather/c8d71e03eb5144afad7c01e72eccf5c2/photo?Query=windshield%20wipers&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=296&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=17&vs=true&vs=true">AP Photo/David Zalubowski</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you are in a hurry or need some exercise, you can use an ice scraper to break up frost on your windshield, creating smaller islands of ice. The windshield wiper can then mechanically dislodge the chunks by moving them around and melting them. This requires more energy on your part, but it doesn’t require much from your car.</p>
<p>If you have a relaxed start to your day, you can let the Sun warm the windshield and slowly melt the frost layer for you. This technique saves energy in every way imaginable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220818/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Suresh Dhaniyala does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When you’re running late in the winter, you don’t want to have to spend time scraping frost off your windshield. Try some expert-recommended techniques instead.Suresh Dhaniyala, Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2218382024-01-30T22:36:36Z2024-01-30T22:36:36ZHow a ‘turn it off’ approach to energy conservation could benefit Canada, and the planet<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-a-turn-it-off-approach-to-energy-conservation-could-benefit-canada-and-the-planet" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The challenge for climate change communicators a couple of decades ago was conveying what the research was showing: that the burning of fossil fuels was altering the planet’s climate. That communication played a vital role in facilitating the current widespread understanding that the climate is changing and it is a crisis. </p>
<p>There remains, however, a fundamental communication challenge in moving the focus from consuming different kinds of energy to facilitating a revolution of consuming less. Recent electrical grid events in Alberta offer a compelling case study.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10217359/alberta-extreme-cold-warning-january-2024/">On Jan. 13, 2024, extreme cold hit Alberta — the coldest in half a century</a>. As people turned up their thermostats to stay warm, Alberta’s power grid was put under immense strain. To avoid taking pressure off the electrical grid with rolling blackouts (rotating half an hour power outages throughout Alberta), the <a href="https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/albertans-asked-to-conserve-energy-for-2-hours-during-electric-grid-alert-1.6725104">Alberta Emergency Management Agency sent an alert to all Albertans</a>. </p>
<p>This unprecedented use of the emergency system, the first of what would be four alerts, asked Albertans <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-electrical-grid-emergency-decarbonization-1.7083664">to turn off unnecessary electricity — lights, electrical appliances and devices — and use “essentials only.”</a></p>
<p>Albertans responded. <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/varcoe-power-grid-alerts-aeso-alberta">Within minutes of the initial emergency alert being issued, demand on Alberta’s power grid decreased by 150 megawatts and continued to fall</a>. <a href="https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-alberta.html">Alberta has an estimated generative capacity of around 16,330 megawatts.</a>.</p>
<p>Because many people and some businesses voluntarily switched off appliances and other electrical devices that were not needed, there was no need for the rolling blackouts.</p>
<h2>Switching off</h2>
<p>The brief experience of turning off highlighted a couple of things. First, that people are willing to change behaviours when asked. Second, the behaviour change, for some, was positive. As one Albertan <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/alberta/comments/196675j/visual_of_the_immediate_reduced_power_consumption/?rdt=41028">posted on Reddit</a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Our kids made a game out of it. Showered with a candle in the bathroom, we had one small light to read books, ALL the lights off in and outside the house, no TV obviously.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another poster on the same Reddit thread offered that their 10-year-old excitedly asked that all the lights and TV be turned off and added: “It looks like the alert does work.”</p>
<p>In the aftermath, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/alberta-emergency-power-alert-underlines-challenge-of-energy-transition-on-prairies/ar-AA1mXFZm">the news has focused on critiques of Alberta’s current energy generation and how to facilitate growing energy output in the future as fossil-fuels continue to be phased out</a>. Politicians and experts wondered how the grid could be more robust and fail-safe so that there is no need to ask people to turn things off. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-electrical-grid-emergency-decarbonization-1.7083664">Critiques of solar and wind were also quickly offered</a> as were the benefits of new power generation such as <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/varcoe-power-grid-alerts-aeso-alberta">Alberta’s Cascade Power Project — a 900 megawatt natural gas-fired plant</a> —
and <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-how-alberta-can-avoid-another-grid-alert">increased energy generation flexibility</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M9OGaDMh-JA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A report on the January cold wave produced by the CBC.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what if the opportunity in Alberta’s power grid struggles is not about producing different kinds of energy but consuming less? </p>
<h2>Looking beyond supply</h2>
<p>The January cold wave is a critical moment to reflect upon the status quo and reimagine a system that values consuming less, not producing more.</p>
<p>Alberta’s electrical grid alerts gave us a glimpse, for a few hours, of a topic largely absent from climate communication: we are consuming too much of everything. We must use and consume less. Less energy, less stuff. We <a href="https://time.com/6341884/climate-change-consumption/">cannot consume our way out of this crisis</a>. </p>
<p>We must consume less, and Albertans proved that this is not only possible but can even be a positive experience.</p>
<p>It is also important, in the depths of an unprecedented cold-weather event, to not lose sight of the fact that globally 2023 was the warmest year on record “by far” — <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/2023-was-worlds-warmest-year-on-record-by-far#:%7E:text=Earth's%20average%20land%20and%20ocean,0.15%20of%20a%20degree%20C">beating 2016 (the previous record-setting year) by .15 degrees Celsius (also a record)</a>. </p>
<p>The 10 warmest years on record — since 1850 — have been in the past 10 years and this changing climate is causing extreme wildfires, tornadoes, cyclones, drought, flooding, heat and cold. Here and around the world <a href="https://theconversation.com/2023s-extreme-storms-heat-and-wildfires-broke-records-a-scientist-explains-how-global-warming-fuels-climate-disasters-217500">lives and habitats are indiscriminately being destroyed</a>. This is our emergency alert.</p>
<h2>A new normal</h2>
<p>Shifting to turning off and reducing consumption patterns for individuals, businesses and industry will be incredibly hard. The global economy, and related jobs, are built on consuming more. But the climate crisis, as well as growing inequality and ecosystem destruction, will make status quo levels of consumption increasingly untenable. </p>
<p>The Alberta Emergency Management Agency sent emergency alerts asking people to turn off because the alternative would have been mandatory rolling blackouts. Asking people to turn off voluntarily allowed Albertans to respond with thoughtfulness, dignity and agency. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cop28-why-we-need-to-break-our-addiction-to-combustion-218019">COP28: Why we need to break our addiction to combustion</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We, collectively across Canada and around the world, are in an emergency. The climate crisis is upon us and we have a choice. We can delay structural change and await the extreme climate crisis consequences. Or we can demand that government and industry implement the systemic changes required to avert (or at least mitigate) this catastrophe.</p>
<p>Regardless, the lessons from Alberta are clear. We could all try “turning off” from time to time — saving money, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190320145559.htm">helping the planet</a> and perhaps reconnecting with friends and family. That, if nothing else, could be a benefit worth championing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221838/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Ellen Good does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Alberta’s experiment with voluntary ‘switching off’ was a success both in terms of saving electricity and in showcasing the power of proactive informed action to address the climate crisis.Jennifer Ellen Good, Associate Professor and Chair, Communication, Popular Culture and Film, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212762024-01-17T18:53:24Z2024-01-17T18:53:24ZExtreme cold still happens in a warming world – in fact climate instability may be disrupting the polar vortex<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569735/original/file-20240117-17-9me2cx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C43%2C5762%2C3519&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A blizzard with brutally cold temperatures hit Iowa and neighboring states on Jan. 12, 2024.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/with-three-days-until-the-iowa-caucus-iowans-plow-and-news-photo/1920707716">Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Extremely cold Arctic air and severe winter weather swept southward into much of the U.S. in mid-January 2024, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/15/us-weather-arctic-blast-extreme-cold">breaking daily low temperature records</a> from Montana to Texas. Tens of millions of people were affected by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/freezing-temperatures-cold-weather-map.html">dangerously cold temperatures</a>, and heavy lake-effect snow and snow squalls have had severe effects across the Great Lakes and Northeast regions.</p>
<p>These severe cold events occur when the <a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3864">polar jet stream</a> – the familiar jet stream of winter that runs along the boundary between Arctic and more temperate air – dips deeply southward, bringing the cold Arctic air to regions that don’t often experience it. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A globe showing most of the US covered in below-normal temperatures" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569882/original/file-20240117-17-7w73t0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surface temperatures at 7 a.m. EST on Jan. 16, 2024. Temperatures below freezing are in blue; those above freezing are in red. The jet stream is indicated by the light blue line with arrows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow/UMass Lowell</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An interesting aspect of these events is that they often occur in association with changes to another river of air even higher above the jet stream: the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-arctic-polar-vortex">stratospheric polar vortex</a>, a great stream of air moving around the North Pole in the middle of the stratosphere. </p>
<p>When this stratospheric vortex becomes <a href="https://www.weather.gov/bis/sudden_stratospheric_warming_events">disrupted or stretched</a>, it can distort the jet stream as well, pushing it southward in some areas and causing cold air outbreaks. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two globes, one showing a stable polar vortex and the other a disrupted version that brings brutal cold to the South." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=324&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569628/original/file-20240116-27-naovil.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Arctic polar vortex is a strong band of winds in the stratosphere, 10-30 miles above the surface. When this band of winds, normally ringing the North Pole, weakens, it can split. The polar jet stream can mirror this upheaval, becoming weaker or wavy. At the surface, cold air is pushed southward in some locations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-arctic-polar-vortex">NOAA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The January 2024 Arctic cold blast fit into this pattern, with the polar vortex stretched so far over the U.S. in the lower stratosphere that it had nearly split in two. There are multiple causes that may have led to this stretching, but it is likely related to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0259.1">high-latitude weather</a> in the prior two weeks.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A globe showing most of the US covered in below-normal temperatures and two wavy lines following a similar track." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569884/original/file-20240117-27-8pkxk5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=718&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surface temperatures and the jet stream at 7 a.m. EST on Jan. 16, 2024, with the stratospheric polar vortex also shown as the dark blue line.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow/UMass Lowell</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A polar view of the stratosphere showing two cold blobs over the US and Europe." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569903/original/file-20240117-27-sr3rpe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=753&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A polar view of the winds in the lower stratosphere at 7 a.m. EST on Jan. 16, 2024. The winds shown are approximately 10 miles above the surface, in the lower stratosphere.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow/UMass Lowell</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>No, cold doesn’t contradict global warming</h2>
<p>After Earth just experienced its <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/2023-was-worlds-warmest-year-on-record-by-far">hottest year on record</a>, it may seem surprising to set so many cold records. But does this cold snap contradict human-caused global warming? As an <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qWV-WIQAAAAJ&hl=en">atmospheric and climate scientist</a>, I can tell you, absolutely and unequivocally, it does not. </p>
<p>No single weather event can prove or disprove global warming. Many studies have shown that the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/chapter/chapter-11/">number of extreme cold events is clearly decreasing</a> with global warming, as predicted and understood from physical reasoning.</p>
<p>Whether global warming may, contrary to expectations, be playing some supporting role in the intensity of these events is an open question. Some research suggests it does.</p>
<p>The February 2021 cold wave that <a href="https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%282021%29%20EventsFebruary2021TexasBlackout%2020210714.pdf">severely disrupted the Texas electric grid</a> was also <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-arctic-warming-can-trigger-extreme-cold-waves-like-the-texas-freeze-a-new-study-makes-the-connection-166550">associated with a stretched stratospheric polar vortex</a>. My colleagues and I have provided <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abi9167">evidence suggesting that Arctic changes</a> associated with global warming have increased the likelihood of such vortex disruptions. The effects of the enhanced high latitude warming known as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00498-3">Arctic amplification</a> on regional snow cover and sea ice may enhance the weather patterns that, in turn, result in a stretched polar vortex.</p>
<p>More recently, we have shown that for large areas of the U.S., Europe and Northeast Asia, while the number of these severe cold events is clearly decreasing – as expected with global warming – it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01008-9">does not appear that their intensity</a> is correspondingly decreasing, despite the rapid warming in their Arctic source regions.</p>
<p>So, while the world can expect fewer of these severe cold events in the future, many regions need to remain prepared for exceptional cold when it does occur. A better understanding of the pathways of influence between Arctic surface conditions, the stratospheric polar vortex and mid-latitude winter weather would improve our ability to anticipate these events and their severity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mathew Barlow has received funding from the US National Science Foundation and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study weather and climate extremes.</span></em></p>The world can expect fewer severe cold events as average temperatures rise, but people still need to be prepared for wintery blasts.Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass LowellLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199912024-01-15T17:52:20Z2024-01-15T17:52:20ZWhy you may feel depressed and anxious when you’re ill – and how to cope with it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569256/original/file-20240115-15-sbj0xe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C91%2C7551%2C5500&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sick-black-man-530798209">kurhan/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Winter illnesses are all around us at the moment – from the common cold, COVID-19 and flu to strep throat and stomach bugs. All have one thing in common: they can make you feel miserable. These illnesses often come with fatigue, lack of appetite and concentration difficulties. Sufferers often just want to be left alone many people even experience sadness and anxiety.</p>
<p>Researchers have uncovered why that is. When your body is under attack by a pathogen, some of your immune cells recognise the pathogen and take action to eliminate the threat. To be successful, they need to rally other immune cells as well as several organs of your body. </p>
<p>To do so, they secrete specific proteins, called cytokines. These are messengers, communicating the presence of a pathogen throughout your body, including to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05161-7">your brain</a>.</p>
<p>Once the cytokine signal reaches your brain, it triggers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014976341730893X">changes in the activity of many brain structures</a>. This leads to the development of fever, but not only that. </p>
<p>These brain changes also lead you to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2297">feel and act differently</a>: you are much less motivated to do things you usually like and would rather be alone and in bed. Ultimately, you feel fatigued and you lack appetite. But you can also be more sensitive to negative stimuli, which can easily make you sad and anxious. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An illustration of a sick person with a blanket on and a thermometer in the mouth, surrounded by four thought bubbles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567852/original/file-20240104-21-7j5303.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The feelings of sickness are triggered by your immune system.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Credit: Julie Lasselin; sick person: brgfx/Freepik</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That means that the psychological experience of sickness is not just triggered by your brain or the pathogen itself – it seems to be unleashed by your own immune system.</p>
<h2>Making people sick for one day</h2>
<p>How can we make sure that the feelings of sickness are really triggered by our own immune system, and not the pathogen? Researchers have actually shown that such feelings can be brought about without a true pathogen being present.</p>
<p>My research group, and a few others in the world, purposely activate the natural immune defences of healthy and young volunteers, without using a pathogen. In several of our experiments, we <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-020-00869-2">injected</a> more than 100 study participants with a small dose of lipopolysaccharide, a component of the membrane of the bacteria <em>Escherichia Coli</em>. Because immune cells recognise this component as a pathogenic threat (although no real bacteria are actually present), they get activated and produce cytokines. </p>
<p>As during a real infection, but without the presence of a pathogen, the cytokine signal reaches the brain and triggers behavioural changes together with the feelings of sickness (collectively called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354621001824">“sickness behaviour”</a>).</p>
<p>Interestingly, our participants reported the same symptoms – malaise, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159119304507">fatigue</a> and <a href="https://karger.com/nim/article/30/1/250/864454/How-Can-Experimental-Endotoxemia-Contribute-to-Our">body pain</a> – without fighting an infection. In the photos below, you can actually see that <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.2430">they look less well after the injection</a>.</p>
<p>The participants said they would rather be at home than in our study room, and were no longer interested in performing the various tasks we asked them to do. And although they were not specifically anxious or sad before the injection, several of the participants reported <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159116300034">feeling anxious</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763418302161">morose</a> afterwards. </p>
<p>Because there were no real bacteria in the blood, and because the liver and immune cells rapidly clear bacterial components from the blood, the production of cytokines lasted only a few hours, typically five to eight hours. And the sickness feelings, including the strong negative emotions that were triggered only a few hours earlier, also <a href="https://karger.com/nim/article/30/1/268/864451/Endotoxin-Induced-Physiological-and-Psychological">subsided within this time frame</a>.</p>
<h2>Why do we feel miserable during infections?</h2>
<p>The question now is: must we feel sick during an infection? And if so, why? Well, even if you are not fully aware of it, fighting a pathogen requires an incredible amount of energy. Both the activity of your immune cells and the increase in body temperature take a heavy toll. The only way your body can cope with these high energy demands is by strongly reducing the activity of organs that are not immediately needed. </p>
<p>Sickness feelings ultimately ensure that your body energy <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/7854_2022_363">is not used</a> for activities that are not essential at the time of an infection – you need to be calm and stay at home. Thus, they help you avoid using your muscles and even your brain – making you skip the gym or extensive studying. And feeling sad and anxious prevents you from wanting to go out and party with your friends.</p>
<p>The feelings of sickness are therefore <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763488800046">likely to be beneficial in the fight against the pathogen</a>. </p>
<p>This is probably the reason why <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/224/9/jeb225847/260576/Sickness-behaviors-across-vertebrate-taxa">all vertebrates</a>, and even invertebrates such as <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2016.00261/full">bees</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02425.x">ants</a>, behave like we do during infections. </p>
<p>So, it is likely to be difficult to simply think your way out of feeling down when ill. But I hope that this insight will help you take the edge off negative thoughts when confronted with a winter illness. Do not feel guilty or worried about feeling miserable – it’s only natural. </p>
<p>A healthy way to respond might actually to embrace these feelings as a normal response of your body when it needs to fight off pathogens. If you don’t, the chances are you will go on a spiral of guilt, fear and negative emotions that keeps getting worse.</p>
<p>And by the way, if you feel miserable in the days following a vaccination… Don’t worry – it similarly means your immune system is at work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Lasselin receives funding from the Swedish Research Council (vetenskapsrådet), Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, and the Osher center for Integrative Health at Karolinska Institutet.</span></em></p>Research suggests we should embrace feeling down when ill.Julie Lasselin, Researcher in Psychoneuroimmunology, Stockholm UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2146192023-10-04T16:40:14Z2023-10-04T16:40:14ZUnderstanding the dynamics of snow cover in forests can help us predict flood risks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551050/original/file-20230926-17-3adew2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C5%2C3914%2C2964&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A better understanding of the interactions between snow cover and forest will help improve hydrological models and thus ensure public protection against flooding.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Benjamin Bouchard)</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For more than six months a year, Quebec’s boreal forest is covered in a thick blanket of snow. While this is essential for the balance of our ecosystems, for the people living downstream from forested watersheds the snow can be like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524152/original/file-20230503-20-rp105s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>This article is part of <em>La Conversation Canada’s</em> series <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca-fr/topics/foret-boreale-138017">The boreal forest: A thousand secrets, a thousand dangers</a></strong></p>
<p><br><em>La Conversation Canada invites you to take a virtual walk in the heart of the boreal forest. In this series, our experts focus on management and sustainable development issues, natural disturbances, the ecology of terrestrial wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, northern agriculture and the cultural and economic importance of the boreal forest for Indigenous peoples. We hope you have a pleasant — and informative — walk through the forest!</em></p>
<hr>
<p>The major floods of spring 2023 in the Charlevoix region show why the snow cover poses a risk. </p>
<p>Last winter, the Rivière du Gouffre watershed, of which <a href="https://charlevoixmontmorency.ca/l-obv-cm/territoire/">nearly 75 per cent is covered by forests</a>, accumulated a large amount of snow. The melting of this snow cover combined with an extremely intense rainfall event helped push the river out of its bed, causing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/flood-baie-saint-paul-residents-cleaning-1.6829490">unprecedented flooding in Baie-Saint-Paul</a>.</p>
<p>As part of my PhD at Université Laval, in collaboration with <a href="https://sentinellenord.ulaval.ca/en/home">Sentinel North</a>, I am looking at the impact of snow cover properties on watershed hydrology in the boreal forest.</p>
<h2>Rain as an energy carrier</h2>
<p>As we saw in the spring of 2023, rain events combined with snow cover can lead to a sudden rise in river water levels. One reason for this is that rainwater transfers heat to the snow. </p>
<p>A heat exchange occurs between rain and snow when their temperatures differ. The snow warms up, and the rain cools down. Once the snow has reached a temperature of 0°C, any additional heat from the rain causes melting.</p>
<p>So, a snow cover of near 0 C, common in spring, and heavy rainfall at high temperatures, together create conditions where both meltwater and rainwater contribute to a higher flow of water. This increases the likelihood of flooding. However, this will only happen if the water produced can flow easily through the snow cover. </p>
<p>On the other hand, a cold snow cover combined with low-temperature rainfall can lead to rainwater freezing in the snow. This water will then remain trapped in the snow and won’t present a flooding risk. </p>
<p>After all, heat exchange goes both ways!</p>
<h2>The snow cover, a complexly structured environment</h2>
<p>The snow cover is a porous medium that does not have uniform physical properties. Rather, it is a stack of snow layers that represent the history of the winter’s meteorological events. Rainwater must percolate through all the snow layers to reach the ground, and eventually, the watercourse.</p>
<p>Some layers, such as fine-grained layers and layers of ice, limit the flow of water through the snow. In contrast, coarse-grained layers, which have larger pores, facilitate the flow of water. As a result, they enable rainwater and meltwater to reach the ground quickly.</p>
<h2>The role of the forest</h2>
<p>The structure of the snow cover influences the risk of flooding. But what effect do forests have on snow structure? </p>
<p>By intercepting part of the precipitation in its solid form (snow), trees limit the accumulation of snow on the ground. That, in turn, contributes to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/JC088iC09p05475">growth of snow grains and pores on the ground</a> through upward water vapour flux. In addition, the discharge of snow intercepted by trees in solid or liquid form <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2019.01.052">increases the heterogeneity of the snow cover</a>. These processes promote rapid water flow in the snow cover that forms beneath the trees.</p>
<h2>The same everywhere?</h2>
<p>Forest cover is far from uniform in the boreal forest. It’s more akin to sparse vegetation with treeless zones known as gaps. In these gaps, the structure of the snow cover is very different from that under the trees.</p>
<p>The greater accumulation of snow in the gaps favours the compaction of snow layers and the formation of fine grains. In addition, daily cycles of surface refreezing lead to the formation of low-permeability ice layers. </p>
<p>The snow cover in the gaps is, therefore, less favourable to the percolation of water to the ground <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14681">than that found under the trees</a>.</p>
<p>But does this mean that the presence of gaps reduces the risk of flooding? Not quite.</p>
<h2>Snow melts faster in gaps</h2>
<p>The structure of the snow cover is just one of the factors that influences flooding. Ground that is frozen, which limits infiltration, as well as rapid snowmelt also increase the risk of flooding. </p>
<p>In Québec’s boreal forests, although the ground does not freeze in the gaps between trees due to the insulating nature of the snow cover, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-191">melt rate is much higher</a> because solar radiation is stronger than it is under the trees, particularly in spring. </p>
<p>Although more snow would accumulate in the gaps, it takes less time to melt and reaches the watercourse more quickly than the snow under the trees. That increases waterflow and, as a consequence, the risk of flooding.</p>
<p>The combination of thicker snow cover in the gaps and more permeable snow layers under the trees contributed to the Rivière du Gouffre flooding Baie-Saint-Paul during the extreme rainfall of spring 2023.</p>
<p>Rainfall events like this <a href="https://www.ouranos.ca/en/precipitations-projected-changes">will continue to increase in frequency as global temperatures warm</a>. However, increased knowledge of the interactions between snow cover and forest will help improve hydrological models and ensure better public protection against flooding.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214619/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Bouchard has received funding from the Fonds de recherche Nature et technologie du Québec (FRQNT), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Sentinel North. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Nadeau has received funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Florent Domine has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>A better understanding of the interactions between the boreal forest and snow will make it possible to improve hydrological models and ensure optimal management of the resource.Benjamin Bouchard, Étudiant-chercheur au doctorat en génie des eaux, Université LavalDaniel Nadeau, Professeur titulaire en hydrologie des régions froides, Université LavalFlorent Domine, Professeur, chimie, Université LavalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2126372023-09-04T15:49:12Z2023-09-04T15:49:12ZWhat happens to your body when you get left in the cold<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546192/original/file-20230904-29-ijdnd5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C8192%2C5444&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The employee was only wearing jeans and a t-shirt.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/scared-worried-european-woman-trembles-cold-2043517580">Cast Of Thousands/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pret a Manger, a sandwich and coffee chain, was handed an £800,000 fine recently after one of its employees became stuck in a walk-in freezer. The employee was trapped in the -18°C freezer for two and a half hours before being found. <a href="https://www.westminster.gov.uk/news/pret-manger-fined-ps800000-after-cafe-worker-left-locked-walk-freezer">Reports suggest</a> the employee displayed symptoms of hypothermia as a result. </p>
<p>Pret has reportedly apologised and said it is working with the manufacturer to ensure this doesn’t happen again.</p>
<p>This is not the first instance where an employee has become locked in a walk-in freezer – with a 2022 US case <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/man-dies-after-getting-stuck-inside-new-york-bakerys-walk-in-freezer-12737843">sadly resulting in death</a> from hypothermia. </p>
<p>Extreme cold temperatures are no joke. It only takes a short amount of time in the cold for the body to be seriously affected. </p>
<p>The body’s normal temperature is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279457/">about 37°C</a>. When the body deviates from this temperature, it’s either because it’s <a href="https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/fever-in-adults">fighting an infection</a> (causing temperature to rise) or because it’s been exposed to cold.</p>
<p>One of the body’s first responses to a temperature drop is to undergo a process called <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/EP087718">vasoconstriction</a>. This reduces blood flow to exposed areas – such as fingers and toes – by narrowing the diameter of the blood vessels. This process helps maintain core body temperature, which keeps vital organs functioning. In temperatures below -4°C, vasoconstriction also prevents <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9460447/">ice crystals</a> from forming in the blood.</p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5765588/">core temperature drops</a> below 35°C, <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/hypothermia-cold-weather-hazard">hypothermia occurs</a>. This means the body is unable to produce enough heat to keep up with the rate it’s being lost.</p>
<p>In the case of the Pret employee, they were only wearing jeans and a T-shirt in a -18°C environment. Since most body heat is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232852/">lost through our skin</a> and when we exhale, even just a few minutes in this environment would lower body temperature and cause hypothermia to set in.</p>
<p>Hypothermia has three stages. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://www.uptodate.com/contents/accidental-hypothermia-in-adults/print">mild stage</a>, body temperature drops to between 32 and 35°C. The heart beats faster, breathing rate and blood pressure increase and muscles become tense from shivering. This all happens to generate heat. You may also need to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.841181/full">urinate more often</a>, as the body diverts blood to the kidneys. Confusion and reduced coordination may also happen.</p>
<p>In the moderate stage, body temperature drops to between 28 and 32°C. By this stage <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1080603219301735?via%3Dihub">all body functions</a> begin to slow and shivering ceases.</p>
<p>In the severe stage, body temperature drops below 28°C and most body systems stop functioning. Most will be unconscious by this stage. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712037/">Heart function deteriorates</a> and the lungs lose function as they become <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712037/">congested with fluid</a> due to the lack of blood circulation. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man wearing a hat and winter jacket blows warm breath onto his cold hands while standing outside on a cold day." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546195/original/file-20230904-25-xbsd0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The more layers you have, the better equipped you will be to handle the cold.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-frozen-suffering-guy-young-handsome-2101377388">EugeneEdge/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research suggests that for every 5°C drop in temperature, there’s a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6765826/">1.6-fold increase</a> in the risk of injury or death. There’s no exact information on how long a person can survive in a walk-in freezer, but based on information from past cases it could only be a <a href="https://people.com/human-interest/employee-found-dead-inside-brooklyn-bakery-walk-in-freezer-locked-inside/">matter of hours</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8530210/">Modelling also predicts</a> a healthy man could survive naked in -20°C for two and a half hours. This is extended to around 15 hours when wearing two layers of clothing.</p>
<h2>Dangers of the cold</h2>
<p>Hypothermia is so dangerous because it progresses gradually, with the sufferer becoming <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566070216300017">unaware and confused</a>. This confusion, brought on by the temperature drop, leads to a decline in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8470111/">brain function</a>.</p>
<p>In some cases of hypothermic death, people have been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/541627/">found naked</a> or hidden in small, enclosed spaces (known as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7632602/">terminal burrowing</a>) in an attempt to keep warm. Removing one’s clothes, termed <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6474461/">paradoxical undressing</a>, happens in the final stages of hypothermia. It’s caused by the blood vessels opening one last time to push blood into tissue to warm them. This causes people to become extremely hot. </p>
<p>Hypothermia commences quicker in water as it conducts heat away from the body <a href="https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/fy12_sh-23584-12_ColdWaterImmersion.pdf">25 times better</a>. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232852/">Body size and shape</a> can also affect how quickly hypothermia commences. Surprisingly, people with higher body fat are more likely to develop hypothermia. This is because they have an increased body surface area to lose heat, and less muscle mass to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11394237/">generate heat through shivering</a>. Women also develop hypothermia <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/epdf/10.1152/jappl.1962.17.2.326">faster than men</a>. </p>
<p>Although hypothermia due to cold air takes longer, air movement can cause it to set in faster. This is because continually moving air shifts the body’s warmth away from the skin’s surface.</p>
<p>There’s also the risk of tissue damage from frostbite from cold exposure. At -18°C, frostbite happens in <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/wind-chill">as little as 30 minutes</a>. Frostbite is the freezing of the skin, which progresses to deeper tissues if cold exposure continues. This results in tissue death and can lead to <a href="https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/frostbite-in-hands">loss of fingers and toes</a>. </p>
<p>Movement can be beneficial in the early stages of frostbite. But as hypothermia sets in this can be counterproductive as it circulates blood from the cold limbs back to the core, risking even greater body temperature drops. Movement during moderate or severe hypothermia can <a href="https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(15)00083-6/pdf">increase the risk of death</a> due to this rush of cold blood to the core. </p>
<p>Hypothermia is treated through <a href="https://www.rcemlearning.org/modules/hypothermia-and-frostbite/lessons/treatment-of-hypothermia-in-the-ed/topic/rewarming-techniques/">rewarming</a>. For people with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5025630/">mild hypothermia</a>, removing them from the cold, taking off any wet clothing and giving them extra layers to warm up usually helps. Offer them warm food or drink to give them energy to generate heat through shivering.</p>
<p>People with moderate or severe hypothermia will require heat from an external source as their body isn’t able to generate heat. This can be provided in the form of <a href="https://emj.bmj.com/content/22/3/182">external warmth</a>, such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1080603215000976">chemical heat packs</a>, applied to the head, neck or torso. In extreme cases, warmed saline may need to be inserted into <a href="https://www.rcemlearning.co.uk/reference/hypothermia/#1569495511121-36c31b7a-35f9">body cavities</a>. Be wary of applying heating pads to limbs or immersing the person in warm water, as this may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC140473/">burn the skin or increase the risk of death</a> from cold blood rushing to the core.</p>
<p>It’s unlikely you may find yourself trapped in a freezer. But should you ever find yourself in a situation where hypothermia is a risk, your best bet for slowing its progression is layering clothes (or other materials you can find) to help trap the body’s heat.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212637/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adam Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The bizarre case of a Pret a Manger employee being stuck in a -18°C freezer for two-and-a-half hours highlights the dangers of cold temperatures.Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1950502023-08-28T20:43:17Z2023-08-28T20:43:17ZNorthern map turtles survive cold winter conditions by staying active under ice<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544833/original/file-20230825-27248-hk37fo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C49%2C4683%2C3063&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As climate change increases temperatures, it is important to understand how freshwater turtles survive the winter.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/northern-map-turtles-survive-cold-winter-conditions-by-staying-active-under-ice" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Imagine it’s winter, and you’re standing on a frozen lake or pond, when suddenly below your feet you notice hundreds of turtles. What are they doing down there below the ice? </p>
<p>Freshwater turtles in temperate regions like Canada spend several months of the year braced against frigid winter conditions of temperatures around or below 0 C <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab032">and the formation of ice on water bodies</a>. </p>
<p>For all <a href="https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-we-do/resource-centre/featured-species/turtles-of-canada.html">eight species of freshwater turtles in Canada</a>, this ice barrier — and more importantly the liquid water below it — is a refuge from the freezing temperatures above. While ice coverage protects these turtles from the harsh cold, it also presents them with a challenge: restricted access to atmospheric oxygen.</p>
<h2>Life under ice</h2>
<p>Some species, like snapping turtles (<em>Chelydra serpentina</em>) and painted turtles (<em>Chrysemys picta</em>), are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1464793106007032">perfectly comfortable spending several months submerged in water depleted in oxygen</a>. However, some species do not fare as well without oxygen and can only survive a few weeks at a time if submerged without adequate oxygen. These species need to extract the oxygen dissolved in the water to survive.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a turtle visible under frozen ice" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544831/original/file-20230825-27-vpciz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A snapping turtle under ice in southern Ontario.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Lucas Foerster/iNaturalist)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The northern map turtle (<em>Graptemys geographica</em>) is an example of such a species. They have also been observed engaging in locomotor activity — they keep moving around under the ice during the winter.</p>
<p>Northern map turtles were observed over a century ago by <a href="https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/view/14633/14709">marine biologists Barton Warren Evermann and Howard Walton Clark</a>. </p>
<p>During a dive at a communal hibernation site in November 1991 in Vermont, marine biologists observed <a href="https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/106990#page/537/mode/1up">map turtles walking across the bottom of a river before ice coverage when temperatures were dropping to near 0 C</a>. </p>
<p>These observations lead us to believe that this behaviour may be important to a map turtle’s ability to survive the winter. Why else would they tap into their limited winter energy stores to move?</p>
<p>But how much do turtles really move in the winter?</p>
<h2>Advances in technology</h2>
<p>To track the movement of northern map turtles under the ice, our team glued tri-axial accelerometers — a type of biologging device that collects data — on 40 turtles at a known overwintering site in eastern Ontario. These devices recorded the movement, depth and temperature of the turtles for the seven months they remained under the ice. </p>
<p>Tri-axial accelerometers function similarly to a FitBit or Apple Watch — the devices produce <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-210X.2010.00057.x">a value called overall dynamic body acceleration</a>. This number is a measure of how much each turtle moves on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Combining this information with measurements of depth and temperature, we were able to paint a detailed picture of each turtle’s behaviour without ever seeing them. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a turtle swims underwater with a device attached to its back" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498317/original/file-20221130-22-kthfq4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A northern map turtle swims underwater with a tri-axial accelerometer attached to its back.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Grégory Bulté)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Daily movement</h2>
<p>Our findings surprised us. The data showed that northern map turtles move, albeit locally, every day of the winter. While that may look different across individuals, the interesting thing here is that movement is indeed continuous throughout the winter and not that different than in the weeks before the ice locks them in for the winter. </p>
<p>Although we expected some level of activity based on previous observations, we did not expect the turtles to be so fidgety all winter long. </p>
<p>Oxygen appears to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2022-0100">in short supply under the ice</a>, and map turtles cannot live without it for very long, so one would expect them to take it easy to limit their oxygen consumption. Our devices also told us the turtles were milling about in water hovering around 1 C, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2022-0100">a temperature at which most reptiles become uncontrollably lethargic</a>.</p>
<p>Staying cool may in fact be what allows turtles to remain active. It’s likely that by staying at near-freezing temperatures, map turtles can slow their metabolic demands, thereby decreasing their need for oxygen and extending their use of this limited resource. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DyOZf2qC5Ik?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A video showing underwater northern map turtle activity during the winter.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Implications of movement</h2>
<p>We suspect that map turtles remain active in winter to meet their need for oxygen in order to survive the winter. Small amounts of activity may allow this species to replace the oxygen-depleted boundary layer of water on their skin with freshly oxygenated water. This would enhance their ability to “breathe” through their skin. </p>
<p>Alternatively, movement may be necessary for turtles as they look for micro-climates within their environment that have higher concentrations of oxygen or preferred temperature and depth profiles. In doing so, map turtles may be able to better need their physiological needs and oxygen requirements through the entirety of winter. </p>
<p>Much of what we know about reptiles in temperate regions is based on research done during the months which they are conspicuous. We are thus missing out on a big chunk of their annual cycle. As global temperatures continue to change, it is increasingly important to understand the winter part of a reptile’s lifecycle so we can plan how climate change may impact these animals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195050/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Robichaud received funding from Carleton University, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Research Fund Small Infrastructure Fund.</span></em></p>Freshwater turtles in Canada survive the cold, harsh winters by remaining under ice and conserving their energy. Northern map turtles however, move around constantly beneath the ice.Jessica Robichaud, PhD Student, Aquatic ecology, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2013802023-06-15T02:07:48Z2023-06-15T02:07:48ZBig hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525825/original/file-20230512-21-gwsojg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-photo-beautiful-she-her-wear-1776598856">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-does-womens-hair-thin-out-39126">millions</a> of hair follicles on our body, including around 100,000 on our scalp. </p>
<p>This might sound like a lot of hair, yet humans are described as “hairless”. We have evolved to be the only mammals with a relatively hairless body, but still with scalp hair.</p>
<p>So how does your hair affect your body temperature when it’s hot or cold? </p>
<p>Compared with other animals, our hair does not have as much influence on keeping us warm or cool as you might think. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-do-some-people-feel-the-cold-more-than-others-37805">Health Check: why do some people feel the cold more than others?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Essential to our survival</h2>
<p>Our brain function and body’s metabolism depend on an optimal temperature of around 37°C. Thermoregulation maintains this body temperature, even when we are exposed to a hotter or colder external temperature.</p>
<p>For non-human mammals, body hair or fur plays a role in protecting against environmental cold or heat. </p>
<p>For instance, a heavy fur coat helps keep a polar bear <a href="https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/adaptions-characteristics/">warm</a> in the cold. But fur also keeps an animal cool in the heat because it can <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25064866">absorb or reflect</a> radiant heat. </p>
<p>Scientists think this is why humans have kept hair on our heads. Our heads are exposed to the most heat from the sun, and scalp hair keeps our heads cool. </p>
<p>Research published just last week <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">suggests</a> curly hair provides the best heat protection. That’s because curly hair’s thicker layer of insulation reduces the amount of sun that reaches the scalp.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four people arm in arm walking along dirt road" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Curly hair may provide the best protection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/friends-walking-travel-young-people-nature-2212936811">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-humid-is-it-3-things-to-keep-you-cool-in-a-hot-and-sticky-summer-and-3-things-that-wont-176365">How humid is it? 3 things to keep you cool in a hot and sticky summer (and 3 things that won't)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>But hair is not the only factor</h2>
<p>When humans moved from living in the jungle to the savannah, they needed to walk and run long distances in the sun. This meant they needed a way to handle the increased body temperature that comes with physical activity in the heat. </p>
<p>Sweating is the best way to lose heat and cool down, but the presence of hair reduces sweating and heat loss from the skin.</p>
<p>So humans evolved to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1113915108">lose body hair</a> to be better adapted to exercising in the heat. Fewer hair follicles in our skin made room for more sweat glands. This made our skin optimal for sweat evaporation – and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-keep-cool-on-hot-summer-days-heres-how-34489">heat loss</a> that goes with it – to keep us cool.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-balding-a-brief-history-of-hairless-men-199531">The art of balding: a brief history of hairless men</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what’s best in the heat?</h2>
<p>You might think removing body hair or having a bald head is best for sweating and keeping cool when exercising in the heat. However, it’s not that simple.</p>
<p>Removing head hair would increase the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">amount of sun</a> that reaches your scalp. This means you would need to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20683812/">sweat more</a> during exercise in the sun to reduce an increase in body temperature, but not by much.</p>
<p>In fact, it’s the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">least hairy</a>
areas of our body that have the highest sweat rates during exercise. These are our forehead, neck, feet and hands.</p>
<p>So the best way to keep cool in the heat is to keep these areas uncovered (but still use sunscreen). Removing body hair will not have a large impact on your overall sweat rate.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bald man combing head" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Going bald or thinking of shaving your head? It won’t much affect your overall sweat rate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/nostalgic-man-comb-his-bald-head-180040100">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How about when it’s cold?</h2>
<p>Our body hair and head hair theoretically have a role in keeping us warm, but the effects are minimal.</p>
<p>When we are cold, the muscles of the hair follicles on the body contract to cause the hairs to stand straight. This is an attempt to trap heat close to the body and we see this as goosebumps. However, because our body hair is so thin, this does not have a big effect in keeping us warm.</p>
<p>Our head hair can prevent some heat loss from the head, but again this is limited. </p>
<p>When it’s cold, heat can still be lost through the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">skin of the head</a> regardless of your hairstyle. </p>
<p>The scalp also has only a very thin layer of fat compared to the rest of our skin, so our head has less insulation to protect against the cold. </p>
<p>A warm hat or beanie is the only way to prevent too much heat lost from the head.</p>
<h2>In a nutshell</h2>
<p>Our head and body hair, or lack of it, does have a small role in how you maintain your body temperature. </p>
<p>But overall, your hairstyle does not influence whether you feel warm or cool.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-always-wondered-why-did-mammals-go-the-fur-route-rather-than-developing-feathers-103905">I've Always Wondered: why did mammals go the fur route, rather than developing feathers?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Larkin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Keeping warm in winter and cool in summer is down to more than the length of your hair.Theresa Larkin, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2072222023-06-14T20:11:24Z2023-06-14T20:11:24ZWhy does my back get so sore when I’m sick? The connection between immunity and pain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531054/original/file-20230609-14782-rgga2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C0%2C7282%2C4902&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-back-ache-she-sitting-1056416144">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever wondered why your back aches when you’re down with the flu or a cold? Or COVID?</p>
<p>This discomfort, common during many illnesses, is not just a random symptom. It’s a result of complex interactions between your immune system and your brain called the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314453/">neuroimmune synapse</a>”. </p>
<p>A fascinating and yet-to-be-understood consequence of this conversation between the immune and brain systems during sickness is that it is particularly noticeable in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/145/3/1098/6370954">lower back</a>. This is thought to be one of the body’s most sensitive regions to neuroimmune threats.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/turning-down-the-volume-of-pain-how-to-retrain-your-brain-when-you-get-sensitised-202850">Turning down the volume of pain – how to retrain your brain when you get sensitised</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Immunology basics</h2>
<p>Our immune system is a double-edged sword. Yes, it fights off infections for us – but it also makes us acutely aware of the job it is doing. </p>
<p>When our body detects an infection, our immune system releases molecules including signalling proteins called <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227831648_The_functions_of_cytokines_and_their_uses_in_toxicology">cytokines</a>. These proteins coordinate our immune system to fight off the infection and talk to our brain and spinal cord to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2740752/#:%7E:text=Production%20of%20proinflammatory%20cytokines%20induces,to%20depression%20in%20vulnerable%20individuals.">change our behaviour</a> and physiology. </p>
<p>This can result in symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, fever and increased sensitivity to pain. Classically, we think of this as a beneficial behavioural change to help us conserve energy to fight off the infection. It’s why we often feel the need to rest and withdraw from our usual activities when we’re sick – and also why we are grumpier than usual. </p>
<h2>Invisibly small changes</h2>
<p>Part of this self-protective response is a change in how we perceive threats, including sensory stimuli. </p>
<p>When we are sick, touch can become painful and muscles can ache. Many changes in behaviour and sensory systems are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000521476">believed</a> to have origins at the nanoscale. When molecular changes occur in part of the brain linked to cognition or mood, we think and feel differently. If these neuroimmune synapse changes happen in the sensory processing regions of the brain and spinal cord, we feel more pain. </p>
<p>Such sensory changes, known as <a href="https://www.iasp-pain.org/resources/fact-sheets/allodynia-and-hyperalgesia-in-neuropathic-pain/#:%7E:text=Allodynia%20is%20pain%20due%20to,stimulus%20that%20normally%20provokes%20pain.">allodynia and hyperalgesia</a>, can lead to heightened pain sensitivity, even in areas not directly affected by the infection – <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159114001731?via%3Dihub">such as the lower back</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man in bed takes own temperature and holds head" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531056/original/file-20230609-19-371k1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being sick can make you feel more sensitive to pain and grumpier.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fever-seasonal-flu-sick-africanamerican-man-1452615326">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Immune memories</h2>
<p>This immune response happens with a range of bacterial infections and viruses like COVID or the flu. In fact, the sick feeling we sometimes get after a vaccination is the good work our immune system is doing to contribute to <a href="https://theconversation.com/you-cant-get-influenza-from-a-flu-shot-heres-how-it-works-118916">a protective immune memory</a>. </p>
<p>Some of that immune-cellular conversation also alerts our brains that we are sick, or makes us think we are. </p>
<p>After some viral infections, the sick feeling persists longer than the virus. We are seeing a long-term response to COVID in some people, termed <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-does-covid-become-long-covid-and-whats-happening-in-the-body-when-symptoms-persist-heres-what-weve-learnt-so-far-188976">long COVID</a>. </p>
<p>Women, who generally have a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">stronger immune response</a> than men, may be more likely to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7937378/">experience pain symptoms</a>. Their heightened immune response (while beneficial in resisting infections) also predisposes women to a higher risk of inflammatory conditions like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7980266/">autoimmune diseases</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/you-cant-get-influenza-from-a-flu-shot-heres-how-it-works-118916">You can't get influenza from a flu shot – here's how it works</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>When to worry and what to do</h2>
<p>If the pain is severe, persistent, or accompanied by other concerning symptoms, seek medical attention. Mild to moderate pain is a common symptom during illness and we often notice this in the lower back. The good news is it usually subsides as the infection clears and the sickness resolves.</p>
<p>While treating the underlying infection is crucial, there are also ways to dial down sickness-induced neuroimmune pain. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="bowl of chicken and vegetable soup" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531057/original/file-20230609-29-npjpw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Grandma was right. Eat your soup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/homemade-chicken-soup-turquoise-bowl-antique-229272709">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Maintaining a diverse microbiome (the collection of microorganisms living in and on your body) by <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31704402/">eating well and getting outside</a> can help. Getting quality sleep, staying hydrated and minimising inflammation <a href="https://karger.com/bbe/article/97/3-4/197/821576/Sickness-and-the-Social-Brain-How-the-Immune">helps too</a>. </p>
<p>Amazingly, there is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34404209/">research</a> suggesting your grandmother’s traditional chicken broth recipe decreases the immune signals at the neuroimmune synapse. </p>
<p>Scientists are also <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24799686/">showing</a> mindfulness meditation, cold water therapy and controlled breathing can drive profound cellular and molecular changes to help activate bodily systems like the autonomic nervous system and alter the immune response. These practices might not only help manage pain but also add an anti-inflammatory component to the immune response, reducing the severity and duration of sickness. </p>
<p>Heat treatment (with a pack or hot water bottle) might <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401625/">provide some relief</a> due to increased circulation. Over-the-counter pain relief maybe also be helpful but seek advice if you are taking other medications.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/man-flu-is-real-but-women-get-more-autoimmune-diseases-and-allergies-77248">Man flu is real, but women get more autoimmune diseases and allergies</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>All in the mind?</h2>
<p>Is this all mind over matter? A little of yes and a lot of no. </p>
<p>The little of yes comes from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26194270/">research</a> supporting the idea that if you expect your breathing, meditation and cold bath therapy to work, it may well make a difference at the cellular and molecular level. </p>
<p>But by understanding the mechanisms of back pain during illness and by using some simple strategies, there is hope to manage this pain effectively. Always remember to seek medical help if your symptoms are severe or persist longer than expected. Your health and comfort are paramount.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207222/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joshua W Pate is the author of the pain science children's book series titled Zoe and Zak's Pain Hacks.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Hutchinson is president of Science and Technology Australia and the research laboratory he leads is supported by the Australian Research Council, USDA, AFOSR, Lateral Pharma, Alyra Biotech, Regeneus, DMTC, and Defence Science Technology Group. He is a scientific advisor to Alyra Biotech and has ministerial appointments on the ARC CEO Advisory Committee and ARC legislative review. He has previously received payments for teaching from the NoiGroup.</span></em></p>Our immune system fights infection and has a nifty way to letting our brain know we are sick and should take it easy – but that can also be a pain.Joshua Pate, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology SydneyMark Hutchinson, Professor, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052932023-05-16T20:10:04Z2023-05-16T20:10:04ZFeeling frozen? 4 out of 5 homes in southern Australia are colder than is healthy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525818/original/file-20230512-45006-hpkluy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8688%2C5774&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every winter we hear about soaring energy bills and people’s inability to stay warm. But, until now, we haven’t really known just how cold Australian homes are. Our newly published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623001846">research</a> suggests around four out of five of Australian homes fail to meet <a href="https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789241550376">World Health Organization</a> minimum standards for warmth.</p>
<p>Australia has a reputation for being a hot place. It might lead us to think we just need to tough it out through winter, because soon it will be hot again. </p>
<p>Our winters may not be as cold as in Europe and North America, but our health statistics are a wake-up call. Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935114003661?via%3Dihub">winter death rates</a> are over 20% higher than in summer. </p>
<p>Newly updated <a href="https://theconversation.com/better-building-standards-are-good-for-the-climate-your-health-and-your-wallet-heres-what-the-national-construction-code-could-do-better-166669">building codes</a>, and our health and welfare systems, assume most people are OK over winter. This is simply not the case. We need to take winter more seriously.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1559468831655219201"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breaking-the-mould-why-rental-properties-are-more-likely-to-be-mouldy-and-whats-needed-to-stop-people-getting-sick-205472">Breaking the mould: why rental properties are more likely to be mouldy and what's needed to stop people getting sick</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>About <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">six years ago</a>, we wondered just how cold Australian homes were. Over the past few winters, we have been measuring people’s in-home temperature. Our latest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623001846">research</a> suggests more than three-quarters of Australian homes were cold last winter – having an average winter temperature less than 18 degrees (the World Health Organization’s <a href="https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789241550376">recommended minimum</a>) during occupied, waking hours.</p>
<p>This is startling. Previously, it has been thought that only about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.01.037">5% of people</a> were cold. </p>
<p>For our study, temperature sensors were placed in 100 homes across temperate New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Two-thirds of Australia’s population live in these <a href="https://ahd.csiro.au/dashboards/energy-rating/ncc-climates/">temperate climate zones</a>.</p>
<p>Across the sampled homes, 81% were below 18°C on average across the whole of winter. The homes averaged 16.5°C across occupied, waking hours. The coldest homes had a minimum hourly average of just 5°C. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525058/original/file-20230509-25-xapo67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Simplified cold homes proportions based on the average temperatures in occupied homes during waking hours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Tasmanians were hardest hit. Some homes in this state had average indoor temperatures of less than 11°C. </p>
<p>But, regardless of state, the majority of homes in our study were unhealthily cold. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">Forget heatwaves, our cold houses are much more likely to kill us</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Who’s at risk?</h2>
<p>Cold isn’t just a problem that affects low-income households. The research included homes that were owned outright, mortgaged and rented, across all income levels. </p>
<p>Some people might feel comfortable at 16°C, but many are not cold by choice. A combination of poor housing conditions, inadequate heating and not being able to afford the cost of heating leaves many <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajs4.267">struggling to stay warm</a>. And <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-electricity-prices-going-up-again-and-will-it-ever-end-201869">energy prices</a> are set to rise.</p>
<p>The aged, people with a disability and those facing housing insecurity are most at risk. This includes those struggling to pay rent, moving frequently, living in overcrowded homes or spending most of their income on housing. There are also greater challenges for <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472">renters</a>. </p>
<p>Cold indoor temperatures can make other problems such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/sudden-mould-outbreak-after-all-this-rain-youre-not-alone-but-you-are-at-risk-177820">mould</a> worse, and can even affect our <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(23)00052-4/fulltext">mental health</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472">If you're renting, chances are your home is cold. With power prices soaring, here's what you can do to keep warm</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We must recognise the connection between health and cold housing. The objectives of <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/397">housing and health policies must be linked</a> to improve the situation. </p>
<p>Australia is shifting towards providing more <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-hospital-in-the-home-and-when-is-it-used-an-expert-explains-167359">home-based care</a>, rather than hospital care. This trend means we must be even more careful to ensure home environments are healthy. </p>
<p>There is also a need to increase community awareness of the risks of cold housing. At-risk groups include First Nations communities, the aged, the young, disabled and those in insecure housing. </p>
<p>Delivering healthier housing is one of the best ways of raising the living standards and quality of life of these communities. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-hospital-in-the-home-and-when-is-it-used-an-expert-explains-167359">What is hospital in the home and when is it used? An expert explains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We can learn from successes overseas</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21681376.2023.2190406">New Zealand and the United Kingdom</a> have been tackling cold housing with remarkable success. Both have started by acknowledging a collective social responsibility to address this problem. </p>
<p>We, too, must realise the problem is bigger than individual households. National ownership of this problem and a systemic response are required. </p>
<p>The NZ and UK interventions have started with rentals, both government and private. Their experience shows mandatory requirements to protect tenants, in particular, need to be made transparent and objective. </p>
<p>With almost <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/2019-20">one-third of Australians</a> renting their homes, such actions could improve the lives of millions of people. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1146677528549036032"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-never-actually-met-them-what-will-motivate-landlords-to-fix-cold-and-costly-homes-for-renters-188827">'I've never actually met them': what will motivate landlords to fix cold and costly homes for renters?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Both NZ and the UK used housing surveys to track progress in housing quality over time. This method clearly shows what works best and identifies areas that still need improvement. </p>
<p>Similarly, Australia should closely monitor progress towards housing that keeps temperatures at a healthy level. Results should be made public. This would promote continued improvement of housing conditions and help direct investment to policies that deliver the best results.</p>
<p>Importantly, we need to keep providing robust research on who is most vulnerable. Our study represents early data from a bigger study of 500 homes, which will enable us to more conclusively identify the true risk of cold housing in Australia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205293/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cynthia Faye Barlow receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council grant number 2004466. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Baker currently receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Australian Research Council (ARC), the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), and the Environment Protection Authority Victoria. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lyrian Daniel receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Australian Research Council (ARC), and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).</span></em></p>Throughout last winter, 81% of homes in a new study were colder than the recommended minimum – the coldest fell to a minimum hourly average of 5 degrees. Cold homes can have deadly consequences.Cynthia Faye Barlow, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Housing Research, University of AdelaideEmma Baker, Professor of Housing Research, University of AdelaideLyrian Daniel, Associate Professor in Architecture, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2017872023-03-14T15:51:51Z2023-03-14T15:51:51ZFuel poverty makes you sick – so why has nothing changed since I was a child living in a cold home?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515162/original/file-20230314-3582-jzxxf9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4928%2C3280&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/child-boy-hand-draws-on-cold-563924788">ARIMAG/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the 1970s and 1980s I grew up in a cold home. On very cold mornings, ice would be crusted on my bedroom window and my every breath would condense in the air.</p>
<p>Things had to be done in a rush to avoid the cold. I remember not wanting to get out of bed, then once I was up, rushing to get dressed in clothes that felt damp before hurrying downstairs to warm them in front of the fan heater. We only ventured from the one warm room in the house each evening if necessary, usually to dash to the toilet or quickly make a cup of tea. Bedrooms were no-go areas until you had to go to sleep – a nightly ritual which involved putting a hot water bottle under the covers half an hour before bedtime then layering up in night clothes, socks and blankets, only to wake up in a cold room once more. </p>
<p>I have been researching cold homes for almost 30 years. The war in Ukraine, rising energy prices and inflation have driven <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/28/pressure-jeremy-hunt-as-2m-more-households-fall-into-fuel-poverty">millions more</a> households into fuel poverty. But the fact that this problem has endured over four decades has a lot to do with the poor condition of housing in the UK. Much of it is badly insulated, draughty or hard to ventilate and heat.</p>
<p>Since I started my career, the variety of health consequences of living in cold homes has become widely recognised and well documented. Yet the problem is worse now than when I was a child. </p>
<h2>Cold homes are sickly homes</h2>
<p>For instance, we now know that being unable to afford sufficient heating <a href="https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fuel-poverty-cold-homes-and-health-inequalities-in-the-uk/read-the-report.pdf">increases your risk</a> of developing heart disease and respiratory problems. Your mental health suffers too: <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953622007675">anxiety, stress and depression</a> are more common among residents of inadequately heated homes. Cold homes also exacerbate conditions such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132319300472">arthritis</a> and make you more likely to catch <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421510000625?via%3Dihub">colds, flu and pneumonia</a>. Living in a cold home was even found to make people less dexterous, increasing the likelihood of <a href="https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/the-health-impacts-of-cold-homes-and-fuel-poverty/the-health-impacts-of-cold-homes-and-fuel-poverty.pdf">accidents and unintentional injury</a>.</p>
<p>Research has revealed that those at greatest risk of health problems include <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-016-6235-y">older people</a>, <a href="https://www.fuelpovertylibrary.info/sites/default/files/EAGA20%20%282008%29%20%20REPORT%20The%20dynamics%20of%20bad%20housing%20on%20the%20living%20standards%20of%20children.pdf">babies and children</a>, and people with a longstanding illness or disability. </p>
<p>We know that these groups are often more susceptible to the cold and are particularly vulnerable as they tend to spend more time at home. A child living in inadequate housing is at a greater risk of chest and breathing issues, including <a href="https://www.fuelpovertylibrary.info/sites/default/files/EAGA20%20%282008%29%20%20REPORT%20The%20dynamics%20of%20bad%20housing%20on%20the%20living%20standards%20of%20children.pdf">asthma and bronchitis</a>. Young people in cold homes are unhappier than those living in warmer housing, and children living in cold, damp homes <a href="https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fuel-poverty-cold-homes-and-health-inequalities-in-the-uk/read-the-report.pdf">miss more school days</a> due to illness and find it harder to study at home.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Wallpaper marked by black mould in the corner of a room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515165/original/file-20230314-24-sbm6z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mould can spread in a cold house and poses a big health risk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mold-fungus-problem-near-heater-hanging-567487411">Cegli/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The comparatively high number of <a href="https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/cold-comfort-social-and-environmental-determinants-excess-winter-deaths-england-1986-1996">excess winter deaths</a> in the UK compared to other European countries with colder winters has been linked to the country’s poorly insulated housing combined with high levels of fuel poverty. The energy efficiency of a house <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng6/evidence/evidence-review-1-factors-determining-vulnerability-to-winter-and-coldrelated-mortalitymorbidity-pdf-544621933">largely determines</a> how vulnerable the occupants will be to cold-related health risks.</p>
<p>An inability to meet basic energy needs, such as heating or having a warm bath, is one of the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25726123/">main contributors</a> to chronic stress in low-income households. Fuel poverty accompanies and <a href="https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wene.455">exacerbates existing inequalities</a>. As well as enduring inadequate housing, those living in fuel poverty are much more likely to experience other forms of deprivation, all of which contribute to a cumulative burden on their health. For example, at present disabled people face <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629621005430">spiralling energy poverty</a> due to <a href="https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/153068/">a combination</a> of their disability, ill health and reduced earning capacity. Being a single parent, experiencing a mental health problem and being out of work are all <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421519301879">factors</a> which can push people into fuel poverty.</p>
<h2>The benefits of improving homes</h2>
<p>Higher energy prices and the cost of living crisis mean many more people will experience fuel poverty and endure the health consequences. Yet there is abundant evidence demonstrating that tackling cold, inefficient and poorly insulated properties and providing suitable ventilation can benefit asthma and respiratory symptoms, mental wellbeing and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35742650/">health more generally</a>. Improving the energy efficiency of homes has <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/energy/multiple-benefits-of-energy-efficiency_9789264220720-en">multiple benefits</a> for society: by reducing energy use, it can <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513002413">cut carbon emissions</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09613218.2017.1314641">improve the finances</a> of people living in them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man fitting insulating foam between wooden buttresses in a roof." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515167/original/file-20230314-4604-cpaicg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Installing insulation in household cavities can trap more heat indoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worker-overall-setting-thermal-insulating-material-154455053">Kzenon/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The most vulnerable people are likely to enjoy the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829210001486">biggest health improvements</a> from warmer homes. People with chronic respiratory disease have seen their <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09613218.2017.1314641">symptoms improve</a> as a result of lower humidity and increased warmth in winter, which also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027795361500088X">boosts heart health</a>. Making housing more energy efficient and affordable to heat can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953614007758">improve personal relationships</a>, increase feelings of autonomy and <a href="https://shura.shu.ac.uk/18167/1/CRESR_WF_final+Nav%20(2).pdf">reduce distress</a>.</p>
<p>Not only would this improve millions of lives, but recent studies have also shown that large-scale home insulation schemes and programmes to upgrade homes to a decent standard <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4571">reduce hospital admissions</a>, alleviating pressure on health services.</p>
<p>And so I ask, given all this evidence, why hasn’t anything changed since I was a child living in a cold home?</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 10,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201787/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Gilbertson undertakes research on cold homes which examines the impact of home improvements on health. These projects have received funding from government, local authorities, third sector organisations and the ESRC. </span></em></p>After decades of research revealing the long-term damage of fuel poverty, the problem is worse than ever.Jan Gilbertson, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1953882022-12-12T13:02:45Z2022-12-12T13:02:45ZFive things you can do to save energy if you rent your home<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497943/original/file-20221129-20-qp5on0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C0%2C6578%2C4365&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tenants are restricted in how far they can change their property.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cold-home-wintertime-man-freezing-his-2064203561">Studio Romantic/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Research suggests that our motivation to save energy is influenced by factors including our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494412000072">personality</a>, the attitudes of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.10.001">our family</a>, and the behaviour of those <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127560">sharing our residence</a>. </p>
<hr>
<iframe id="noa-web-audio-player" style="border: none" src="https://embed-player.newsoveraudio.com/v4?key=x84olp&id=https://theconversation.com/five-things-you-can-do-to-save-energy-if-you-rent-your-home-195388 &bgColor=F5F5F5&color=D8352A&playColor=D8352A" width="100%" height="110px"></iframe>
<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Yet for environmentally conscious tenants, renting can be a particular challenge. Restricted in how far we can change our properties, tenants have less freedom to undertake energy-saving home improvements. Even the efficiency of the appliances in our homes is often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.05.053">determined</a> by our landlord. </p>
<p>But here are five ways that research suggests you can save energy in your rented property while maintaining a good relationship with your landlord.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://PASTE-URL-HERE-BUT-DO-NOT-REMOVE-TEXT-AFTER-QUESTION-MARK.com?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Five things to do in your 20s and 30s to reduce your risk of preventable cancer</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/cost-of-living-crisis-what-are-your-rights-if-your-landlord-wants-to-increase-your-rent-189089?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Cost of living crisis: what are your rights if your landlord wants to increase your rent?</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/houseplants-dont-just-look-nice-they-can-also-give-your-mental-health-a-boost-186982?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Houseplants don’t just look nice – they can also give your mental health a boost</a></em></p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Keep the heat in</h2>
<p>Heat leaks out of your home through windows, doors and floors. Draught-proofing – where gaps that let cold air in or warm air out are blocked – is an effective way of preventing heat loss. </p>
<p>Curtains and blinds help to retain heat. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2019.02.007">Research</a> has shown that the effective use of curtains can improve the heat retention of a double-glazed window by around 38%.</p>
<p>Another option is to install insulating plastic film covers over your windows. This can allow your home to retain <a href="http://cchrc.org/media/window_insulation_final.pdf">around 24%</a> more heat. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A window and a white window sill covered in plastic film." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497934/original/file-20221129-26-mgrhpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Plastic film covers can prevent heat escaping through leaks in windows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/window-covered-by-plastic-film-insulation-2229494901">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are various <a href="https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/draught-proofing/">ways to draught-proof</a> your doors. Brush strips can be installed to close gaps at their base, brush covers can prevent heat from escaping through the letterbox, and a disc flap can cover the keyhole. </p>
<p>But up to <a href="https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/where-am-i-losing-heat-home/">10%</a> of your home’s heat is lost through the floor. Cold air circulates below ground-floor floorboards and can rise through the gaps between them. </p>
<p>Covering the floor with rugs or mats adds a layer of insulation. But it is important that the entire floor area is covered and that the carpet pile is thick. One study suggests that a <a href="https://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/factsh_thermal.pdf">10mm-high</a> pile of carpet can reduce your energy use by 12.8% on average.</p>
<h2>2. Make better use of your radiator</h2>
<p>Giving your radiator space will allow heat to radiate into the room instead of being absorbed by the furniture. Around 30cm of space in front of the radiator will help to circulate warm air.</p>
<p>Because of their high surface temperature, you may have installed wooden casings on the external surface of your radiators. But these casings are insulating and can reduce a radiator’s heat output by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778816310027">up to 40%</a>. </p>
<p>An alternative is to apply a magnetic radiator cover. The reduction in a radiator’s heat output falls to just 11% when replaced with a magnetic cover.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A radiator covered in a wooden casing next to a bed." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497935/original/file-20221129-16-ojhz7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many households cover their radiators in wooden casings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wooden-cover-radiator-314676878">Marko Poplasen/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Lower the temperature</h2>
<p>Room temperatures can also be reduced without sacrificing our own comfort. The extent to which a room is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48963-y">naturally lit</a> alters our perception of how warm we are.</p>
<p>Warming up <a href="https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-the-human-not-the-home-save-energy/">parts of the body</a> can also trigger a perception response in humans. This process is called <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09613218.2015.989662">spatial alliesthesia</a>. The pleasure we feel from one part of the body being warm can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.06.086">improve our overall comfort</a> at lower temperatures.</p>
<h2>4. Save energy in your kitchen</h2>
<p>Cooking can be energy intensive. A conventional oven costs <a href="https://energyguide.org.uk/how-much-electricity-do-appliances-use/">around 71p</a> an hour to run. </p>
<p>Alternative cooking appliances including air-fryers and microwaves use <a href="https://theconversation.com/air-fryers-and-pressure-cookers-how-you-can-save-money-on-your-cooking-bills-192303">significantly less energy</a>. They tend to be smaller than a conventional oven and do not require pre-heating, thus reducing overall energy use. </p>
<p>Many rental properties have their kitchen appliances already installed. But energy savings can be achieved by using them efficiently. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pan on an gas stove with steam condensing on the lid." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497938/original/file-20221129-12-y1xnou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cooking in a pan with a lid can save roughly one-third of the energy used when cooking in an uncovered pan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/steel-pan-stands-on-gas-stove-1592343355">Leka Sergeeva/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cooking in a pan with the lid on traps heat and allows the cooking temperature to be maintained with a lower input of energy. This can <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/energy_saving_tips#:%7E:text=Put%20the%20lid%20on%20Cooking%20in%20a%20pan,in%20an%20uncovered%20pan%2C%20according%20to%20Dr%20Reynolds.">save you 30%</a> of the energy used when cooking in an uncovered pan. However, the savings depend on using the right size pan and only heating the amount you need. </p>
<p>A fridge <a href="https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/how-much-electricity-does-a-fridge-use">consumes energy continuously</a>. A pressurised refrigerant fluid absorbs heat from the fridge as it turns from a liquid into a gas. The coils at the back of the fridge then help to cool and condense the refrigerant, releasing heat from the fridge in the process. But dust accumulates on the coils and interferes with the transfer of heat by adding a layer of insulation. Cleaning the coils can deliver energy savings by <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/seven-tips-to-help-lower-the-cost-of-running-your-fridge-freezer-aG1a84M1Ivan">up to 25%</a>.</p>
<p>By filling empty fridge space with containers, you can also reduce the work your fridge has to do to cool its internal space. This reduces the volume of cool air that escapes each time the door is opened. </p>
<h2>5. Understand your energy use</h2>
<p>However, research has shown that energy-saving advice is unlikely to improve our energy consciousness. One <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/14/1/55/1790108?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">study</a> found that variable electricity pricing did not induce energy conservation. Although consumers responded by switching their energy use towards cheaper off-peak periods, their overall energy use increased. </p>
<p>What impels us to change our energy use is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800919311607?via%3Dihub">visualising</a> the immediate impact of our energy consumption. Smart meters <a href="https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/guide-to-smart-meters/">visually display</a> our energy use and its associated cost, allowing us to better manage our energy consumption. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778821003789">study</a> of 200 Danish rental apartments, consumption of electricity, heating and water all fell in rental properties following the installation of a smart meter. But other factors may have also influenced consumers’ behaviour. The researchers found that residents used less energy regardless of whether they actively interacted with the smart meter or not.</p>
<p>The fabric of rental homes is often fixed. But by combining greater awareness of our energy use with improving the efficiency of our living spaces, we can reduce our energy use.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sharon George receives funding from Research England </span></em></p>Renting can be a challenge for environmentally conscious tenants, but there are several ways you can save energy while remaining on good terms with your landlord.Sharon George, Research Chair, Indigenous Approaches to Environmental Management, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1952502022-12-07T10:19:44Z2022-12-07T10:19:44ZHow to stay warm when you’re working from home (without turning the heating on)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498315/original/file-20221130-18-2hu33j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C8%2C5955%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A blanket and dog help.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-working-on-laptop-home-1688044990">eva_blanco/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’re working from home all or part of the time, the chances are that your home working space is getting chillier as winter sets in. But with heating so expensive right now, having it on all day isn’t really an affordable option. So what can we do to stay warm? </p>
<p>In evolutionary terms, we are tropical animals: when naked and at rest, we’re <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4977175/">most comfortable in air around 28°C</a>, with an average skin surface temperature of 33°C. But to survive and function normally, we must also maintain our deep body (core) temperature close to 37°C. The process of doing so (thermoregulation) involves our body “sensing” its temperature – we have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763409001559">sensors just beneath the skin’s surface</a>
as well as in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4870994/">deeper tissues like the brain</a> – then adjusting our heat production, gain and loss accordingly. </p>
<p>In a cold room, the skin’s cold receptors are the first to be stimulated and cause the skin’s blood vessels to constrict, redirecting warm blood beneath the insulating fat layer we have just beneath the skin. Because hands and feet require blood flow to keep them warm and functional and have little fat coverage, they cool quickly. So, in a cold room, the first parts of us to feel the cold are the extremities: our fingers and toes. </p>
<p>If <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6858151/">cooling continues</a>, the superficial nerves, muscles and joints (especially of the arms) can become impaired, meaning that dexterity, speed of movement and sensitivity to touch suffer. This can make tasks like typing and texting harder, slower and more prone to error. Work efficiency can be further impaired by the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9725">distraction of feeling cold</a>. </p>
<h2>The solutions</h2>
<p>Our first task is to keep our extremities warm by keeping blood flowing to them, and the best way of doing this is by maintaining (or raising) our core body temperature. </p>
<p>There’s no need to heat a whole house or room. You’re much better off heating yourself up, and it starts with making sure you’re wearing appropriate clothing.</p>
<p>Clothes such as woollen jumpers and leggings trap millions of tiny pockets of air which provide insulation. Thermals are great, but multiple layers of ordinary clothing can work just as well. If sitting, a blanket or duvet over the legs and waist can help. Add a hot water bottle underneath, or use a wearable electric blanket if you want. Remember, heating the human not the house is much cheaper.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man in bed with duvet on head with cat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498316/original/file-20221130-22-16zzue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bed doesn’t have to be the only cosy place.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-attractive-caucasian-man-sitting-on-1894443517">boytsov/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-bills-how-much-money-does-turning-down-the-thermostat-actually-save-194756">Energy bills: how much money does turning down the thermostat actually save?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Because the temperature of the hands and feet dominates the overall perception of thermal discomfort, focusing on these areas is key. Think insulating socks, slippers and fingerless gloves. Placing your hands in your armpits when not typing can help, too. If you want to splash out, heated gloves and slippers could also be an option.</p>
<p>As mountaineers say, “if you want warm hands wear a hat”. Scalp blood vessels <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1957.10.2.235">don’t constrict as much</a> in the cold, meaning that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1359624/">heat can be lost</a> through the head. So it’s worth having a hat available on your desk. Heat can also be lost as it rises from underneath clothing and escapes at the neck. So wearing a scarf, buff or polo neck helps, too. </p>
<p>You also might like to try exercising. Around three-quarters of the energy used for exercise comes out as heat, so just stepping up and down the bottom step of a staircase can generate <a href="https://extremephysiolmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2046-7648-2-16">100 watts of heating</a> and start to raise your body temperature in a few minutes. A short period of exercise now and again can make a big difference to your thermal comfort and is good for your general health, too. </p>
<h2>Other tips</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Keeping hydrated is important for ensuring blood flow to the extremities. You don’t need to drink loads, but drink if you are feeling thirsty. Warm drinks are definitely comforting and make you feel “warmer” but don’t, in fact, affect <a href="https://blog.nols.edu/2016/01/11/do-hot-drinks-really-warm-you-up#:%7E:text=Adding%20a%20hot%20liquid%20to,t%20really%20change%20that%20much">your core temperature</a> much, or for long.</p></li>
<li><p>You need to eat enough calories to burn for heat generation. Most of us eat more than enough, though, and “extra” isn’t generally needed unless you are ill or malnourished for other reasons.</p></li>
<li><p>Our cold receptors are very sensitive to changes in temperature, so draughts can make us feel disproportionately cold – and also waste energy and cost money. Use draught excluders at doors. Ensure that heat loss around and through windows is minimised. Make sure that the attic is well insulated. Also, as cold feet cause thermal discomfort, keeping them off the floor out of any draughts helps. </p></li>
<li><p>Stress can also reduce blood flow to the skin, making you feel colder so try and avoid stress when working at home (if you can). Or kill two birds with one stone: if you feel yourself becoming stressed, step away from your desk and do a few minutes of exercise. You could even stick your hat, scarf and coat on and go for a brisk walk around the block, which should clear your head and warm you up.</p></li>
<li><p>You can check the temperature of your fingers by touching your lips, if your fingers feel warm on your lips they are getting some blood flow, if they feel cold you need to do something to warm them up. </p></li>
<li><p>If you are using your heating if possible heat the room you’ll be in rather than the whole house. <a href="https://www.hip-magazine.co.uk/turning-thermostats-down-by-1c-uk-could-save-uk-households-1-4-billion/">Turning the thermostat down</a> by just 1°C from 20 to 19°C can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/oct/09/uk-energy-bills-save-winter-gas-electricity-costs#:%7E:text=Turn%20down%20the%20thermostat%20from%2020C%20to%2019C&text=Most%20families%20are%20happy%20with,your%20heating%20bill%20by%2010%25">save you 10% a year</a> in energy costs, and there are further savings to be made by <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/128720/6923-how-much-energy-could-be-saved-by-making-small-cha.pdf">reducing the temperature</a> to the minimum recommended level of 18°C.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195250/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Tipton receives funding from a range of research funders, nothing specifically related to this article. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hugh Montgomery works on climate change at UCL and (unpaid) for UCLPartners (NHS). He co-founded the UK Climate and Health Council (voluntary action group). He collaborates with recipients of research grants relating to the health impacts of climate change including the (Wellcome Trust-funded) Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change,</span></em></p>Keeping your fingers and toes warm is the key.Mike Tipton, Professor of Human and Applied Physiology, University of PortsmouthHugh Montgomery, Professor of intensive Care Medicine, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1932752022-10-26T12:27:41Z2022-10-26T12:27:41ZRSV: A pediatric disease expert answers 5 questions about the surging outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491720/original/file-20221025-4775-4olusf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C110%2C4934%2C3279&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Babies and young children are most at risk for serious cases of RSV.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/doctor-listening-to-boy-with-infection-royalty-free-image/160428861?phrase=baby%20coughing&adppopup=true">Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Respiratory syncytial virus, more commonly known as RSV, sends thousands of children to the hospital every year in the U.S. But during September and October 2022, health professionals across the country have watched an unprecedented spike in the number of cases of this usually mild, but occasionally dangerous, respiratory infection in children. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=G2EkJJ0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">Jennifer Girotto</a> is a pharmacist who studies pediatric infectious diseases. She explains how RSV infects the human body, who is most at risk and what might be causing this year’s outbreak to be worse than normal.</em></p>
<h2>1. What is respiratory syncytial virus?</h2>
<p>RSV is a common, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1099%2Fjgv.0.000959">RNA respiratory virus</a> that affects about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/us-surveillance.html">2 million children under 5 years old annually</a> nationwide. Researchers think that most children have been infected by age 2. Like the flu, in most areas of the U.S., RSV usually circulates from November through March and then mostly disappears during the summer months, with only sporadic cases being seen.</p>
<h2>2. Who is most at risk?</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A microscope image of thin blue lines among cells." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491725/original/file-20221025-13-vjkl0a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Respiratory syncytial virus – highlighted in blue – infects cells in a person’s lungs, throat and nose and can lead to anything from a mild cold to pneumonia and croup in more severe cases.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_Respiratory_Syncytial_Virus_(RSV)_(33114415716).jpg#/media/File:Human_Respiratory_Syncytial_Virus_(RSV)_(33114415716).jpg">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For most people, especially those who have had an RSV infection in the past, the virus only causes <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/index.html">mild symptoms like cough, runny nose and fever</a>, with instances of wheezing and decreased appetite more common in young children. </p>
<p>But young infants, especially those under 6 months old, born prematurely or with congenital heart, lung or other health issues are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/index.html">at increased risk for more severe symptoms</a>. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1% to 2% of infants younger than 6 months who get infected with RSV require hospitalization. In an average year, around <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542%2Fpir.35-12-519">250 children die from the disease</a>.</p>
<p>In recent years, researchers have found that RSV can also <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/older-adults.html">cause severe disease in high-risk adults and people older than 65.</a>.</p>
<h2>3. How does RSV make people sick?</h2>
<p>The main reason RSV sends babies and young children to the hospital is because the virus infects and kills surface cells within small sacs of the lungs. The body responds by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542%2Fpir.35-12-519">increasing the production of mucus and fluid</a> in these areas. But the extra mucus can plug up and obstruct these parts of the lung and make it so that an infant <a href="https://www.statpearls.com/articlelibrary/viewarticle/28424/">doesn’t get enough oxygen</a>. </p>
<p>A second common cause for hospitalization due to RSV is pneumonia, where a person’s lungs fill up with fluid. The pneumonia can either be triggered by the virus itself or by a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thx.2005.048397">secondary, bacterial infection</a>. Finally, some infants get so sick that they struggle to eat and are unable to take in sufficient nutrients, eventually landing them in the hospital.</p>
<p><iframe id="BVCWg" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/BVCWg/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>4. How concerning is this year’s outbreak?</h2>
<p>On average, RSV sends about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/us-surveillance.html">60,000 young children to the hospital</a> each year in the U.S. In 2022, however, the virus has hit early and hard. According to the CDC, doctors have found <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/trend_images/RSV14Num_Nat.htm">more cases in each week of October</a> than any week in the prior two years. </p>
<p>Health officials aren’t yet sure why the outbreak is so bad this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic may have something to do with it. Some research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-022-01794-y">seasonality of RSV has shifted</a>. In 2021, RSV infections started much earlier than normal, and over the summer of 2022, they never quite went away. One theory as to why RSV season is starting earlier and hitting harder is that, due to social distancing measures since 2020, an unusually high number of infants and children are experiencing their first exposures and infections at once.</p>
<h2>5. How can you protect against catching RSV?</h2>
<p>Like colds and the flu, RSV infections spread when people touch dirty surfaces or from respiratory droplets, when an infected person coughs or sneezes. </p>
<p>Health professionals recommend that premature infants and infants with certain medical conditions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2345">take a monthly monoclonal antibody medication, called Palivizumab, during the RSV season</a> to help keep them out of the hospital. There are a <a href="https://media.path.org/documents/RSV_Vaccine_and_mAb_Snapshot_September_9_2022.pdf?_gl=1*16baoqs*_ga*MjE0OTYwMjQ3LjE2NjY3MTEzMjk.*_ga_YBSE7ZKDQM*MTY2NjcxMTMyOS4xLjAuMTY2NjcxMTMzNS4wLjAuMA">few RSV vaccines under development</a>, but none are yet approved. For now, preventative measures are the best way to avoid an infection.</p>
<p>If someone is sick with symptoms that look like a cold, it may be best to avoid close contact until they feel better, especially if you have young children or high-risk people around.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193275/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Girotto does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Tens of thousands of children have tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus in the last months in what is the largest outbreak of the virus in recent years.Jennifer Girotto, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of ConnecticutLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1904292022-09-29T20:05:08Z2022-09-29T20:05:08ZWhy has my cold dragged on so long? And how do I know when it’s morphed into something more serious?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483890/original/file-20220912-7256-6grcdr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C6120%2C4076&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-lying-on-bed-while-blowing-her-nose-3807629/">Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Common colds are caused by viruses. There are no effective cures, and antibiotics do not work on viruses, so treatment is targeted at managing the symptoms until your immune system has cleared the cold.</p>
<p>So why might someone go to a doctor at all for a cold?</p>
<p>Well, occasionally a cold might turn into something more serious requiring assessment and specific treatment, and a GP visit could be warranted. Or you may just want reassurance and advice.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sore-throats-suck-do-throat-lozenges-help-at-all-184454">Sore throats suck. Do throat lozenges help at all?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C50%2C6709%2C4416&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman blows her nose." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C50%2C6709%2C4416&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483887/original/file-20220912-54657-jcnlj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Occasionally a cold might turn into something more serious requiring assessment and specific treatment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-blowing-nose-7195040/">Photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Don’t rush to the GP for something totally normal</h2>
<p>Problems arise when there too many unwarranted visits to GPs for cold symptoms.</p>
<p>Studies have shown <a href="https://www.annfammed.org/content/11/1/5">antibiotics</a> are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.5694/mja16.01042">still prescribed widely</a> for viral colds, even though they don’t help, and this contributes to antibiotic resistance. It hastens the arrival of an era when many antibiotics simply don’t work at all.</p>
<p>On average, children have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7152362/">four to six colds</a> per year, while in adults the average is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7152362/">two to three</a>.</p>
<p>Some people are more <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1530156705601189?via%3Dihub">prone</a> to colds, but we don’t know exactly why.</p>
<p>The usual cold persists about one week, although 25% last two weeks. In one <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.35.11.2864-2868.1997">study</a> with 346 adults, the infection lasted 9.5 to 11 days. </p>
<p>Cold symptoms may last longer in younger children. One <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/87/2/129/56810/Upper-Respiratory-Tract-Infections-in-Young?redirectedFrom=fulltext">study</a> showed an average duration of colds ranged from 6.6 to 9 days. But symptoms lasted more than 15 days in 6.5% of 1-3 year old children in home care, and 13.1% of 2-3 year old children in day care.</p>
<p>A cough tends to last longer than other symptoms, and often beyond the actual viral infection. The average <a href="https://www.annfammed.org/content/11/1/5">duration</a> of a cough is about 17.8 days.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man coughs into his elbow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483889/original/file-20220912-54657-4uy5r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A cough tends to last longer than other symptoms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-sick-man-covering-his-mouth-4031634/">Photo by Edward Jenner/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Discoloured sputum, cough or snot</h2>
<p>Discoloured mucus in snot or cough is a common trigger for requesting antibiotics from a GP. But as we know, antibiotics are useless against a virus. They only work against bacterial infection. </p>
<p>In fact, thick or coloured nasal mucus secretion is common following colds. Only a tiny proportion <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc7151789">involve</a> bacterial infection.</p>
<p>When it happens, this is termed <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/treating-acute-sinusitis-3">acute rhinosinusitis</a>. But antibiotics are not recommended unless it lasts more than ten to 14 days and there are <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc7151789">signs</a> of bacterial sinusitis infection, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>symptoms worsening after improvement in the original cold</li>
<li>return of fever and</li>
<li>strong facial pain.</li>
</ul>
<p>A prolonged cough after colds is usually caused by an irritated throat or the clearing of sticky mucus coming down from the nose. The cough may sound moist (so wrongly called “chesty”) due to the phlegm, but only small amounts of phlegm are coughed up. </p>
<p>Yellow or green coloured mucus is often interpreted as a <a href="http://theconversation.com/health-check-what-you-need-to-know-about-mucus-and-phlegm-33192">sign</a> of bacterial infection.</p>
<p>But yellow or green sputum alone <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02813430902759663">does not</a> mean you have a serious bacterial infection. One study found being prescribed antibiotics under these circumstances <a href="https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/1/119">failed</a> to shorten recovery time. </p>
<p>Nasal saline sprays and washes can be used to rinse out the nose and sinuses and possibly <a href="https://dtb.bmj.com/content/57/4/56">shorten</a> rhinosinusitis and cough after colds.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483891/original/file-20220912-68568-ej88qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A cold can make you feel rubbish for quite a while.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/apartment-bed-carpet-chair-269141/">Photo by Pixabay, via Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Could it just be hayfever, or another underlying issue?</h2>
<p>Hayfever or allergic rhinitis is a common cause for prolonged symptoms after a cold, especially cough and nasal congestion and maybe also sneezing. </p>
<p>The damage in the upper airways following a viral infection may allow airborne allergens to trigger hayfever. Self-medicating with antihistamines, nasal saline spray or intranasal steroids is worthwhile if <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-do-i-have-a-cough-and-what-can-i-do-about-it-119172">allergic rhinitis</a> is suspected. </p>
<p>There may be other reasons for persistence of cough, such as exacerbation of underlying asthma or chronic lung disease. If so, this may require a visit to your GP.</p>
<h2>What about bronchitis or pneumonia?</h2>
<p>Many people worry about developing a chest infection after a cold. </p>
<p>Acute bronchitis is a self-limiting infectious disease characterised by acute cough with or without sputum but without <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pneumonia/">signs of pneumonia</a> (such as high temperatures and feeling breathless). Most acute bronchitis cases are caused by viruses. Antibiotics are often prescribed, but produce <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14787210.2016.1193435">no significant clinical improvement</a> compared with placebo, so are not recommended.</p>
<p>Pneumonia is a potentially serious secondary disease that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28159155/">may follow</a> an episode of flu in a small number of cases, but is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532961/">relatively rare</a> following a cold. Symptoms and signs of pneumonia feature heavily in the list of warning signs that signal the need for a medical assessment. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man looks at his phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/486977/original/file-20220928-12-fzoana.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sometimes, contacting your GP is a good idea.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When should I seek medical help for a cough or a cold?</h2>
<p>Contact a GP if you experience:</p>
<ul>
<li>shortness of breath or trouble breathing</li>
<li>feeling faint or dizzy</li>
<li>chest pain</li>
<li>dehydration </li>
<li>fever or cough symptoms that improve but then return or worsen</li>
<li>worsening of chronic medical conditions such as asthma.</li>
</ul>
<p>This is not a complete list, but may guide you on what to expect and what to watch out for. </p>
<p>You might also contact your GP (perhaps for a telehealth consult) if you are finding your symptoms very unpleasant, or are concerned your condition is more serious or prolonged than expected. You might just need reassurance and education about self care options.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-nose-spray-good-sex-clears-a-stuffy-nose-just-as-effectively-and-is-a-lot-more-fun-167901">Forget nose spray, good sex clears a stuffy nose just as effectively — and is a lot more fun</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190429/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David King does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Problems arise when there are too many unwarranted visits to GPs for cold symptoms. Occasionally, though, a cold might turn into something that needs specific diagnosis and treatment.David King, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1888272022-08-18T05:01:04Z2022-08-18T05:01:04Z‘I’ve never actually met them’: what will motivate landlords to fix cold and costly homes for renters?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479771/original/file-20220818-639-g1y3mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C155%2C5184%2C3515&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kindel Media/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cold weather and rising energy costs, combined with poor-quality housing, have left many renters struggling to keep warm this winter. The <a href="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/betterrenting/pages/345/attachments/original/1660523224/Cold_and_costly_-_Winter_Renter_Researchers.pdf?1660523224">Cold and Costly</a> report released this week by Better Renting shows how cold, mouldy homes and high energy bills take a toll on the physical and mental health of renters who live in homes that have often been likened to “glorified tents”. </p>
<p>Landlords are responsible for maintaining and improving rental properties. We interviewed landlords in Victoria about how they make decisions that affect the energy efficiency of their rental properties. Some might be surprised by what <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629622000408">our research</a> revealed: landlords who retrofit homes generally do it to improve renters’ comfort, rather than being motivated by increased rents.</p>
<p>However, a major issue is that many landlords who use property managers are unaware of tenants’ discomfort.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1557215422650273792"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-are-shivering-in-cold-and-mouldy-homes-in-a-country-that-pioneered-housing-comfort-research-how-did-that-happen-188809">People are shivering in cold and mouldy homes in a country that pioneered housing comfort research – how did that happen?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Many rented homes are dangerously cold</h2>
<p>Renters are more likely than home owners to live in cold houses. The cold is typically due to substandard insulation and a lack of energy-saving features and solar panels to keep energy costs down. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-18.10">World Health Organisation recommends</a> that homes be kept at or above 18°C. By that standard, about <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01136-5">one in five renters</a> live in homes that are dangerously cold. <a href="https://theconversation.com/chilly-house-mouldy-rooms-heres-how-to-improve-low-income-renters-access-to-decent-housing-116749">Low-income renters</a> are especially likely to live in homes they can’t keep warm. </p>
<p>Cold homes contribute to respiratory illnesses and even deaths. In fact, cold plays a role in almost <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">7% of deaths</a> in Australia. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1535146920217575424"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">Forget heatwaves, our cold houses are much more likely to kill us</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Improving rented homes is landlords’ responsibility</h2>
<p>While there are some things renters can do to <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472">keep warm in a cold home</a>, they don’t have much power to make property improvements. Tenancy rules vary across Australia, but generally tenants are not allowed to make permanent changes to the house. </p>
<p>However, landlords do not benefit directly from improving the comfort or energy efficiency of their rental properties. So why do some landlords retrofit?</p>
<p>Our interviewees included landlords who had retrofitted improvements and those who had not, as well as landlords who owned high-cost and low-cost rental properties.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629622000408">Our research</a> shows that, in general, landlords are not motivated to retrofit for increased rent. Nor are they motivated by environmental benefits. However, they are motivated to retrofit to improve renters’ comfort, particularly thermal comfort. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1536941143833067521"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472">If you're renting, chances are your home is cold. With power prices soaring, here's what you can do to keep warm</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did landlords tell us?</h2>
<p>Improving renters’ comfort can benefit the landlord financially if renters stay longer in the property because this avoids vacancies and advertising costs. One landlord explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I get loyalty out of them. It’s difficult always to find new tenants. It’s time. It’s money involved. I prefer that I have tenants who stay for the long run.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Landlords also said they felt a responsibility to meet renters’ needs. For example, one landlord told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I think you have to be attentive to your tenants’ needs. It’s pretty much as simple as that.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, landlords can only make changes to improve renters’ comfort if they are aware of renters’ discomfort. We found landlords who used a professional property manager – as about <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/303">three-quarters of landlords</a> do – generally knew very little about the conditions in their property and the people living in it. As one landlord said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I know their name and that’s about it. I’ve never actually met them.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Landlords who use property managers are generally unaware of problems until renters submit a formal complaint or ask for improvements. Renters are often <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/338">reluctant to request improvements</a> because they worry about eviction or rental increases, or because their previous requests have not been met. </p>
<p>We also found some landlords are not concerned about renters’ comfort. These landlords are unlikely to make improvements unless governments require rental properties to meet a prescribed standard. </p>
<hr>
<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xh5gfUcn4Q0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chilly-house-mouldy-rooms-heres-how-to-improve-low-income-renters-access-to-decent-housing-116749">Chilly house? Mouldy rooms? Here's how to improve low-income renters’ access to decent housing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can governments do?</h2>
<p>Governments across Australia are looking at ways to <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/buildings/trajectory-low-energy-buildings">improve the energy efficiency of rental properties</a>. Specifically, governments are considering requiring that energy performance be disclosed to prospective tenants and for rental properties to meet minimum energy efficiency standards. </p>
<p>While energy performance disclosure may allow landlords to charge higher rents for efficient properties, our research suggests this will not motivate them to retrofit. This is consistent with <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09613218.2014.908265">findings from Europe</a> that energy disclosure requirements are not a strong driver of retrofitting. </p>
<p>To improve the poorest-performing rental properties, energy efficiency disclosure must be combined with enforceable minimum standards. Some standards have been introduced in recent years. For example, rental homes in Victoria are <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency/minimum-rental-standards">required to have a fixed heater</a> and those heaters will be required to meet energy efficiency standards by 2023.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1377405588603215872"}"></div></p>
<p>Governments can also encourage landlords to do more than the bare minimum. Comprehensive retrofitting is needed to create healthy, low-energy homes. Government programs should aim to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>educate landlords about conditions in their properties</p></li>
<li><p>support property managers to organise retrofits</p></li>
<li><p>protect renters from eviction or rent increases if they speak out about uncomfortable, inefficient rental properties.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>When introducing new energy-efficiency policies and incentives, governments should emphasise comfort and other benefits for tenants. Change is urgently needed to ensure Australians from all walks of life can live in comfortable, healthy and climate-resilient homes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michaela Lang undertook this research as part of a PhD that was supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program and the Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruth Lane receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Raven does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Tenants are rarely allowed to make permanent changes to a house. And many landlords know little about the conditions tenants endure, but most who do retrofit homes do it to improve renters’ comfort.Michaela Lang, Postdoctoral Researcher, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash UniversityRob Raven, Professor and Deputy Director (Research), Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash UniversityRuth Lane, Associate Professor in Human Geography, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1888092022-08-17T20:04:46Z2022-08-17T20:04:46ZPeople are shivering in cold and mouldy homes in a country that pioneered housing comfort research – how did that happen?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479517/original/file-20220817-10961-ju1ocy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C2000%2C4000%2C2634&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lisa Fotios/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The poor state of Australia’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-18/apartment-owners-sound-alarm-over-alleged-building-defects/101247114">residential</a>, and particularly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-16/australian-first-study-mould-biotoxin-illness/101223548">rental</a>, housing stock is attracting increasing attention. This week it has been reported many renters are living in <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-16/renters-shiver-below-minimum-healthy-temperature-report-finds/101333256">unhealthily cold</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/16/australian-rental-homes-colder-and-more-damp-than-who-safety-standards">damp housing</a>. The head of UNSW’s School of the Built Environment, Philip Oldfield, recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/13/freezing-indoors-thats-because-australian-homes-are-closer-to-tents-than-insulated-eco-buildings">described</a> the average Australian home as “closer to a tent than an insulated eco-building”. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/Web/Content/Media_Release/National/2022/Over%20100%20organisations%20join%20forces%20in%20push%20for%20improved%20energy%20efficiency%20in%20Australian%20homes.aspx">joint statement</a> by more than 100 property, community, health and environmental organisations has called on next week’s meeting of the nation’s building ministers to increase the energy efficiency of new homes. The alliance wants to lift National Construction Code standards, such as raising the minimum thermal performance to seven stars, alongside a “whole-of-home” energy budget. The statement said Australia <a href="https://www.energymagazine.com.au/room-for-improvement-australia-and-germany-swap-notes-on-energy-efficiency-reform/">lags far behind</a> international energy-efficiency and building standards. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1557282856585551872"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472">If you're renting, chances are your home is cold. With power prices soaring, here's what you can do to keep warm</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These concerns coincide with a growing housing shortage, rising building costs and a changing climate. But these circumstances are no reason to defer housing reforms. In the past, in a remarkably similar set of circumstances, Australia became a global innovator through a dedicated government agency focused on thermal comfort and performance. </p>
<h2>We once led the way in building for the climate</h2>
<p>We must go back to the second world war, though, to see Australia at the vanguard of housing built for the climate. The Ministry of Post-war Reconstruction’s substantial and alarm-raising <a href="https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-851519579/view?partId=nla.obj-851583656">Commonwealth Housing Report</a> of 1944 had forecast a shortfall of 300,000 dwellings by war’s end. On top of a materials shortage and a rapidly growing population, Chifley’s Labor government was keen to tackle the housing crisis head-on and to demonstrate Australia’s scientific prowess across a range of technical industries. </p>
<p>As the magnitude of the looming housing shortage became clear, a group of architects established a Small House Bureau to reinvigorate the housing landscape. In Victoria, the director was celebrated architect Robin Boyd. He advocated for smaller homes, notably if the main building material could be earth. </p>
<p>Boyd <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206872165?searchTerm=The%20materials%20are%20already%20on%20%E2%80%98your%20vacant%20building%20site">told a growing readership</a> desperate for cost-effective and accessible alternatives that earth walls were “cheap, strong, weatherproof, and highly insulating”. The materials are already on “your vacant building site”, he cried. Thus, it seemed reasonable to “make it of mud!”.</p>
<p>At the same time, the Commonwealth Experimental Building Station was set up on 16 hectares of bushland in Ryde, north of Sydney. Its mandate was to carry out experimental construction in different climatic and geographic locations. It was also to advise regulators, housing authorities and government departments. </p>
<p>Engineers, builders, architects and the public welcomed the innovative scientific approach to housing design across the nation’s varied and extreme weather and seasonal conditions. Post-war architects and scientists were keen to place a climatically defined framework on both the layout and construction of Australian homes. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A map of Australian climate zones from a study of the thermal performance of housing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=874&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=874&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479326/original/file-20220816-2656-5u5jp5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=874&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A map of Australian climate zones from a 1950 study of the thermal performance of housing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.W. Drysdale, The Thermal Behaviour of Dwellings Technical Study/Commonwealth Experimental Buildings Station</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the station’s main directives was to address “heating, lighting, ventilation, sound and thermal transmission, and performance generally”. The station developed an advanced thermal modelling program to enhance indoor comfort. The modelling took into account solar radiation, the value of shading, strategic ventilation and insulation. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/house-hunters-are-rarely-told-the-home-energy-rating-little-wonder-the-average-is-as-low-as-1-8-stars-144873">House hunters are rarely told the home energy rating – little wonder the average is as low as 1.8 stars</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The cover of Build Your House of Earth by George F. Middleton" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479566/original/file-20220817-14-8is33a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Build Your House of Earth by George F. Middleton.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Amidst a slew of controlled experiments, the station’s chief technical officer, English architect and engineer George Middleton, championed the practical application of earth walls. Following a scoping tour of England, America, Russia and across Australia, Middleton examined the structural integrity, durability and effective function of “Pisé” or rammed earth. </p>
<p>A devotee of the aesthetic qualities and durability of earth, he produced several technical papers that placed earth walls “high among the accepted building methods”.</p>
<p>Continuing to advocate for earth over prefabricated materials, Middleton released Build Your House of Earth in 1953. It remains the authoritative text on rammed-earth building in Australia. </p>
<p>In just a few short years, the station researched, experimented and built dozens of prototypes. Its thermal response analysis tool (replicated 20 years later by UK building authorities) was ground-breaking. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1449025015450509315"}"></div></p>
<h2>Australia needs to make up lost ground</h2>
<p>Despite the station’s record of achievement, its funding for such investigations was cut in 1955. Some thermal investigations were all but abandoned. Without ongoing testing and field application, the capacity to influence material and performance standards waned. </p>
<p>The station did continue to provide regulations and standards for building systems and materials, and it was restructured in the mid-1980s into the National Building Technology Centre. It was later absorbed into CSIRO’s Division of Building, Construction and Engineering, which still oversees the Building Code of Australia. </p>
<p>At the centre of building research in Australia, the station was innovative and experimental. It was created decades before the energy conservation movement began to investigate building efficiency <a href="https://neep.org/blog/reflecting-history-energy-efficiency-while-looking-future">in North America and England</a>. </p>
<p>But our innovation and desire for experimentation have faded. Decades of industry lobbying, <a href="https://theconversation.com/buck-passing-on-apartment-building-safety-leaves-residents-at-risk-119000">toothless enforcement</a>, a lack of investment in and subsidies for refurbishing existing dwellings, and an outdated rating scheme (<a href="https://www.nathers.gov.au/">NatHERS</a>) have left many Australians out <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-16/renters-shiver-below-minimum-healthy-temperature-report-finds/101333256">in the cold</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/keen-to-retrofit-your-home-to-lower-its-carbon-footprint-and-save-energy-consider-these-3-things-175921">Keen to retrofit your home to lower its carbon footprint and save energy? Consider these 3 things</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In a continent notorious for its extremes, it is time to invest again in thermal research and testing. Australia needs to build resilience into new and existing houses. In a rapidly changing climate, we must consider the capacity and efficiency of earth and other natural materials as a viable and proven alternative to prefabricated materials.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188809/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Goldlust is affiliated with the Renters and Housing Union. </span></em></p>Housing standards in Australia have slipped behind the rest of the world. But momentum is growing to revive past ambitions to build the best homes we can.Rachel Goldlust, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Archaeology and History, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1844722022-06-15T05:14:50Z2022-06-15T05:14:50ZIf you’re renting, chances are your home is cold. With power prices soaring, here’s what you can do to keep warm<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468902/original/file-20220615-24-mq8zyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3994%2C2610&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’re feeling the cold this winter, you’re not alone. About a quarter of all Australians have trouble keeping their homes warm enough in winter. That figure is likely to soar this year, due to poor quality housing and the rapidly escalating energy crisis. </p>
<p>Renters are particularly at risk, but our research has shown many home owners are in the same boat as well. We’ve collected data over the last few years on how many Australians have cold homes, find it <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">difficult to stay warm</a>, and can’t afford their heating bills. </p>
<p>What counts as cold? The World Health Organization recommends a <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-18.10">minimum home temperature</a> of 18°C for health and wellbeing. About a fifth of Australian renters, for example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01136-5">have cold homes</a>. Our <a href="https://able.adelaide.edu.au/housing-research/research/healthy-housing-cre/cold-in-australian-homes#0">current research</a> has shown this applies to home owners as well, with 26% of people across all housing types unable to stay warm at least half of the time during winter. </p>
<p>Australia’s energy crisis is likely to see soaring rates of energy poverty, meaning being unable to keep your home warm or cool enough. Here’s why this is such a problem – and what you can do about it. </p>
<h2>Cold homes affect our health</h2>
<p>If you’re cold at home, you have a higher risk of developing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-017-1379-0">respiratory problems</a> and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/fulltext/2014/08000/Stronger_association_of_indoor_temperature_than.8.aspx?casa_token=TFv1eApy3hQAAAAA:9tc6eHiZCAk72mWgrmcgSxQT7kLczUDd7XNpXvNvoIFcMF6pJPSGpORK3SI-Veu4oc994saGXCWuJFBCs3pYN4g">high blood pressure</a>. People in the coldest homes face a higher risk of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935114003661?casa_token=vWpvR-oc8iMAAAAA:q72pW312N2oWIm1Gf9jpTTGUr3sH8uM_DankOAVzziVRT8_OPPnPjxJzDIC_x5j4Pr7O_Uuq">dying in winter</a>. Cold can have a flow-on impact on our health system, which is already struggling. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-poverty-in-the-climate-crisis-what-australia-and-the-european-union-can-learn-from-each-other-177316">Energy poverty in the climate crisis: what Australia and the European Union can learn from each other</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Australia’s south-east has had the coldest start to winter <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2022/06/09/cold-winter-weather-australia/">in decades</a>. Melbourne hasn’t been this cold this early since 1949, while Sydney hasn’t seen these temperatures in early June since 1989. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C3300%2C2188&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="old couple cold high bills" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C3300%2C2188&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468901/original/file-20220615-16-8tmfcj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Low income households who are renting are particularly vulnerable to energy price spikes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Double trouble: cold weather and the energy crisis</h2>
<p>If you’ve been hit by the recent cold snap, chances are you’ll have been reminded how cold your home can get. This is not a surprise given how badly <a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/energy-efficiency-and-reducing-emissions/household-retrofit-trials">existing homes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-still-building-4-in-every-5-new-houses-to-no-more-than-the-minimum-energy-standard-118820">new housing</a> perform in keeping an even temperature.</p>
<p>The cold has made many people doubly worried, because the energy required to heat our leaky, poorly insulated homes is about to get <a href="https://theconversation.com/expect-more-power-price-hikes-a-1970s-style-energy-shock-is-on-the-cards-183911">very expensive</a>. </p>
<p>Early results from <a href="https://able.adelaide.edu.au/housing-research/research/healthy-housing-cre/cold-in-australian-homes#0">our survey</a> of over 350 Australians found 25% of people were experiencing shortages of money to the point they will be unable to adequately heat their homes. One third of our respondents said energy was unaffordable. Some reported making trade-offs, such as skimping on food or healthcare to pay energy bills. </p>
<p>These people are experiencing energy poverty, where a household is unable to properly heat or cool their home or face significant financial difficulty doing so. </p>
<p>While data about energy poverty in Australia is patchy, we know around 180,000 households <a href="https://vcoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Persistent-Energy-Hardship-FINAL-Web-Single-Page.pdf">in Victoria</a> had persistent bill payment issues as of 2018, and 45,000 households were consistently unable to heat their homes. </p>
<h2>Energy price increases hit lower income households hardest</h2>
<p>Lower income households are more at risk from the cold. That’s because they’re more likely to live in homes that are in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10852352.2016.1197714?casa_token=D_2YbBQ9wRkAAAAA%3A5Z_XqM42cmGunbSwhVJ-EaaHrtV4w3nORhDq9ZoaqAMBx700PldV7_9VVPdAWy7mm2hi3KYLOij3">poor condition</a> and hard to heat. One quarter of low income households told us they struggle to stay warm. Insulation may be a key factor, with 25% of our respondents reporting their rental properties did not have insulation. </p>
<p>Insulation matters, because heat escapes homes through <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing">single-pane windows</a>, or poorly insulated walls and ceilings. As a result, poorly insulated homes <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/10-tips-warm-house/">cost more to heat</a>. </p>
<p>This makes life harder for low income renters, given they have little control over insulation or other home modifications. Worse still, heaters that are cheap to buy are often the most <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/top-tips-improve-home-energy-efficiency/#:%7E:text=Shoot%20for%20the%20stars%3A%20Top%20tips%20to%20improve%20your%20home's%20energy%20efficiency,-26.11.21%20By&text=Compared%20to%20a%206%2Dstar,amount%20of%20electricity%20we%20use.">expensive to run</a>. </p>
<p>While an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner would save money and heat the space better over the longer term, it is often difficult for renters to negotiate installation with property managers or landlords – especially given the intense competition for rentals at present in many cities. That can mean renters will suffer in silence, unwilling to ask for something that will make their lives better.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Reverse cycle air con" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468904/original/file-20220615-14-j9m4rt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Efficient reverse cycle air conditioners can be the cheapest form of heating. But renters face challenges in getting landlords to install them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can renters do?</h2>
<p>Low income renters face real threats from energy poverty this year. While we need systemic change to improve the outlook for Australia’s renters, there are low-cost DIY ways to improve how <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/">your house retains heat</a> this winter. </p>
<p>The first step: check your current heating appliances are working efficiently. Many people don’t clean the filters on their reverse cycle air conditioners. This makes them less efficient, and can drive up energy bills.</p>
<p>Poorly sealed windows and doors make it hard to stay warm. </p>
<p>Using <a href="https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/insulated-curtains.htm">thermal curtains</a>, and keeping them closed makes a big difference. Putting a piece of plywood or even a scarf between the curtain rail and the wall to make a <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2011/07/05/take-the-chill-out-of-winter-with-diy-pelmets/">DIY pelmet</a> also helps keep the heat in. If you have single glazed windows, consider <a href="https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/window-buyers-guide/">window films</a> as a way to improve performance for a fraction of the cost of double glazed windows.</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.csiro.au/draught-proof-house/">Sealing the cracks</a> around windows, under doors and around the wider home is also important. Silicon or expanding foam can be used for gaps and cracks. Draughts under doors can be stopped with door seals or door snakes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Thick curtains" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468905/original/file-20220615-14-9hwdr8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thick curtains, DIY pelmets and door snakes are cheap ways to make your home keep its heat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285">10 ways to keep your house warm (and save money) this winter</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Close the doors to your bathroom, laundry and other rooms not in use to keep the heat where you need it most. Hanging a blanket over a doorway can also be a cheap way to seal off a room and concentrate heat.</p>
<p>It’s also worth checking what rebates and concessions your state government or council is offering. These might include energy efficiency improvements or extra help with heating costs. If you’re renting, your home must meet <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency/minimum-rental-standards">minimum standards</a>, so make sure you check what you are entitled to as these vary by state. </p>
<p>Everyone deserves a warm home. Our health and well-being depend on it. Building new, energy efficient homes is only part of the answer. We also have to make our 10.8 million <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/total-value-dwellings/latest-release#:%7E:text=Total%20value%20of%20dwelling%20stock,-Download&text=Range%3A%206400000%20to%2010400000.&text=End%20of%20interactive%20chart.&text=The%20preliminary%20estimate%20of%20the,in%20the%20December%20quarter%202021.">existing dwellings</a> warmer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184472/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This story is part of The Conversation's Breaking the Cycle series, which is about escaping cycles of disadvantage. It is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Baker receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. She is on the Board of Habitat for Humanity SA. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lyrian Daniel receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian Government and various industry partners. He is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network.</span></em></p>It’s been unusually cold, and energy prices are soaring. That spells trouble for the quarter of Australians who have very cold homes.Cynthia Faye Barlow, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Housing Research, University of AdelaideEmma Baker, Professor of Housing Research, University of AdelaideLyrian Daniel, Senior lecturer, University of AdelaideTrivess Moore, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1843292022-06-07T06:02:22Z2022-06-07T06:02:22ZYes, women might ‘feel the cold’ more than men. Here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467343/original/file-20220607-26-juyzsj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C7%2C4944%2C3600&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all have different preferences for when it’s the right time to bring out the winter blankets. And the thermostat’s setting often forms the basis of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2741">office arguments</a> between women and men regarding the “correct” temperature for it to be set.</p>
<p>Between the sexes, there are always <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25581005/">more similarities than differences</a>. But research does consistently show <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00023.2004">women</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132306000242">prefer</a> a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132316303560">higher</a> indoor temperature to men.</p>
<p>But is there any science backing up the widespread belief women “feel the cold” more than men?</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d2NNm8MTboA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Biological differences between men and women</h2>
<p>At around the same body weight, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1751351/">women</a> tend to have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10904038/">less muscle</a> to generate heat. Women also have more fat between the skin and the muscles, so the skin <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-014-2988-5">feels colder</a>, as it’s slightly further away from blood vessels.</p>
<p>Women also tend to have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778821006447">lower metabolic rate</a> than men, which reduces heat production capacity during cold exposure, making women more prone to feeling cold as the temperature drops.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-my-hands-and-feet-always-cold-and-when-should-i-be-worried-184154">Why are my hands and feet always cold? And when should I be worried?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Hormonal differences</h2>
<p>The hormones oestrogen and progesterone, found in large quantities in women, contribute to the core body and skin temperatures.</p>
<p>Oestrogen dilates blood vessels at the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26674572/">extremities</a>. This means more heat can be lost to the surrounding air. And progesterone can cause the vessels in the skin to <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/jphysiol.2010.194563">constrict</a>, meaning less blood will flow to some areas to keep the internal organs warmer, leaving women feeling cooler. This hormone balance changes throughout the month alongside the menstrual cycle.</p>
<p>The hormones also make women’s <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)78875-9/fulltext">hands</a>, feet and ears stay around three degrees Celsius cooler than men’s.</p>
<p>The core body temperature is highest in the week after <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33123618/">ovulation</a>, as progesterone levels increase. This means that around this time, women may be particularly sensitive to cooler outside temperatures.</p>
<p>Although the hands and feet are cooler, women do have warmer average core temperatures than men. This is likely the source of the saying “<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)78875-9/fulltext">cold hands, warm heart</a>”.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Woman in beanie warming her hands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467346/original/file-20220607-24949-sw0wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women’s hands are around three degrees colder than men’s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-need-to-pee-more-in-the-cold-184236">Why do I need to pee more in the cold?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Is it just humans?</h2>
<p>The phenomenon that some of us prefer warmer temperatures to others isn’t unique to humans. Studies on many species of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/z81-207">birds</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.13393">mammals</a> report that males commonly congregate in cooler areas where there is shade, while females and offspring stay in warmer environments where there is sunlight.</p>
<p>Male <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0134573">bats</a> prefer to rest at the cool, high peaks of mountains, whereas females remain in the warmer <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0054987">valleys</a>.</p>
<p>Female mammals may have developed a preference for warmer climates to encourage them to rest with offspring during stages when the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.13393">young</a> are unable to regulate their own body temperature.</p>
<p>So the difference between heat-sensing mechanisms may provide an evolutionary <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1936182">advantage</a>.</p>
<h2>So how do we agree on the ideal temperature?</h2>
<p>The “<a href="https://www.moderndane.com/blogs/the-modern-dane-blog/sleeping-the-scandinavian-way-pros-and-cons-of-separate-duvets">Scandinavian sleep method</a>”, where couples sleep with separate blankets, is one way to overcome the differences in temperature preferences.</p>
<p>In the workplace, personal comfort systems are thermal systems that heat or cool and can be locally positioned in individual work stations such as desktops, chairs, or near the feet and legs. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778821010501">Examples include</a> small desk fans, heated chairs and blankets, or footwarmers. </p>
<p>These systems provide individualised thermal comfort to meet personal needs without affecting others in the same space, and have been found to produce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132318307078?via%3Dihub">higher comfort satisfaction</a> in the workplace.</p>
<p>They may also be an energy-efficient method to balance thermal comfort and health in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778821010501">office environments</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-if-our-bodies-are-happy-at-37-why-do-we-feel-so-unhappy-when-its-too-hot-outside-159134">Curious Kids: if our bodies are happy at 37℃, why do we feel so unhappy when it's too hot outside?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184329/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You’ve fought over the thermostat in the office right? Here’s why it’s usually women turning it up and men turning it down.Charlotte Phelps, PhD Student, Bond UniversityChristian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1842362022-06-02T01:52:03Z2022-06-02T01:52:03ZWhy do I need to pee more in the cold?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466532/original/file-20220601-49081-pmkbqo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C4%2C1000%2C658&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-female-distress-having-go-restroom-1882909777">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You’re taking a stroll through the park on a cold winter’s morning, when it hits you – the need to find a bathroom, and quick! This didn’t used to happen in summer.</p>
<p>Is there something about winter that makes us need to pee more?</p>
<p>We study the bladder and lower urinary tract. Here are two main explanations for what’s going on.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-my-hands-and-feet-always-cold-and-when-should-i-be-worried-184154">Why are my hands and feet always cold? And when should I be worried?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Our lifestyle changes</h2>
<p>In summer, we tend to be outside and more active. We sweat more (to lose heat) and it’s easy to become dehydrated if we don’t drink enough water.</p>
<p>This impacts the amount of free fluid our body is willing to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2015233">excrete</a>, and our urine volume is often reduced because of this.</p>
<p>In winter, we’re often indoors, around water sources, so we are more likely to be hydrated, less active, and to sweat less. As such, we tend to have more free fluid to excrete via our urine.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-if-our-bodies-are-happy-at-37-why-do-we-feel-so-unhappy-when-its-too-hot-outside-159134">Curious Kids: if our bodies are happy at 37℃, why do we feel so unhappy when it's too hot outside?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Our body wants to avoid losing too much heat</h2>
<p>If we become cold very quickly, the body protects our internal organs in a number of ways.</p>
<p>One is “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4655205/">cold-induced diuresis</a>”, or an increase in urine excretion in response to the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpregu.1993.264.3.R524">cold</a>.</p>
<p>Initially, blood is diverted away from the skin to avoid losing its heat to the outside air. This means more blood ends up flushing through your internal organs.</p>
<p>In particular, blood rushes to your kidneys in a greater volume and at a higher pressure. This increases the amount the kidneys need to <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajprenal.00430.2005">filter</a>. As a result, your rate of <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.841181/full">urine excretion</a> increases.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-cold-right-now-and-how-long-will-it-last-a-climate-scientist-explains-184155">Why is it so cold right now? And how long will it last? A climate scientist explains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What should I do?</h2>
<p>Our diet, age, blood pressure, and personal situation can all impact how much we urinate.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/blVmyrBPves?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Could you have a small bladder? Or an overactive bladder?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Producing more urine can also be a sign of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-201X.1998.0314f.x">hypothermia</a>. This is your body responding to the cold as a stressor, so act quickly. Find somewhere away from the cold, and slowly warm up your body. </p>
<p>If the increased urine is also accompanied by <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hypothermia">other symptoms</a>, such as extensive shivering, breathing difficulties, or confusion, seek medical attention immediately.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-do-some-people-feel-the-cold-more-than-others-37805">Health Check: why do some people feel the cold more than others?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keep up the fluids in winter too</h2>
<p>If you’re out in the cold, you may not feel thirsty. Nonetheless, be sure to drink plenty of fluids during the day. Although it may be tempting to avoid drinking so you don’t need to keep rushing to the bathroom, this can lead to dehydration.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Smiling woman wearing yellow puffer jacket holding water bottle" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466716/original/file-20220602-18-4l0pci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keep drinking fluids, even in winter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-hispanic-girl-smiling-happy-drinking-2053295111">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you’re often out in the cold in light gear, and you find this increases your urinary output, there can be impacts over the long term.</p>
<p>Frequent urination can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/osmotic-diuresis">detrimental</a> to your body’s natural salt balance (particularly sodium and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/low-potassium/basics/causes/sym-20050632">potassium</a>). So be sure to maintain a healthy diet.</p>
<p>It does seem like a bit of a balancing game. The key, however, is to avoid stressing your body this way when it’s cold. To do this, be sure to dress appropriately and keep warm.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">Forget heatwaves, our cold houses are much more likely to kill us</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What if you don’t notice a difference?</h2>
<p>Although the body has mechanisms to make you <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7330607/">urinate more</a> in the cold, not everyone notices peeing more in winter.</p>
<p>If you keep warm, there’s no reason to think your body would often be “shocked” into responding to cold temperatures.</p>
<p>In fact, when tracked in research studies, it has been common for researchers to record no difference in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7330607/">urinary</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1172/">output</a> between the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29757578/">seasons</a>.</p>
<h2>What about the urine?</h2>
<p>It’s not just the volume of urine that might be different in winter. The composition can change too.</p>
<p>The body excretes a higher amount of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29757578/">calcium</a> in the urine during <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7106963/">winter</a>.</p>
<p>This is more likely due to lifestyle during cold seasons rather than anything internal. We tend to be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2800047/">less active</a> in winter, gain <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31093925/">extra weight</a>, and eat more salty, preserved and processed foods.</p>
<p>This means there can be a higher risk of developing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6237522/">kidney stones</a> during winter for people who are susceptible.</p>
<p>So as the weather cools down, be sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay warm, and don’t forget to stay hydrated, even when it’s cold.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-is-urine-yellow-117747">Curious Kids: why is urine yellow?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184236/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>No, you’re not imagining it. You can pee more in winter. Mostly, there’s nothing to worry about. But it could be a sign of hypothermia.Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond UniversityCharlotte Phelps, PhD Student, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1841542022-06-01T00:50:40Z2022-06-01T00:50:40ZWhy are my hands and feet always cold? And when should I be worried?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466174/original/file-20220531-18-3vveuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C38%2C5182%2C3413&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do you, or someone you know, often complain of having constantly cold hands and feet? In most cases, this is not a problem, and simply due to the body maintaining its temperature.</p>
<p>For our bodies, blood is a fantastic store of heat. By diverting blood to the skin, heat is transferred to the outside air, helping to cool us down. This is why we might look a bit “flushed” on a hot day.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when we are feeling cold, the blood vessels in our skin narrow so less blood is diverted there. Less blood means less warmth, and this becomes particularly noticeable in the hands and feet.</p>
<p>It’s a normal process, and shows that our body is doing its job of maintaining a normal internal temperature and protecting our organs.</p>
<p>Normally, the feeling is only temporary. But if someone <em>always</em> has cold hands and feet, even when their body is quite warm, it could be a sign that something else is contributing. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466173/original/file-20220531-18-2azl89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ever put your cold feet on someone else to warm them up?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-my-armpits-smell-and-would-using-glycolic-acid-on-them-really-work-183354">Why do my armpits smell? And would using glycolic acid on them really work?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Could there be other causes?</h2>
<p>Anything that induces a narrowing of blood vessels can impact how warm your extremities feel. </p>
<p>This could be from causes such as <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/raynauds-phenomenon">Raynaud’s phenomenon</a>, in which some blood vessels going to the extremities temporarily narrow. </p>
<p>People with Raynaud’s typically present with very pale and cold fingers or toes.</p>
<p>In some cases, it is not clear why people exhibit symptoms of Raynaud’s. In other instances, it may be a result of more serious <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/raynauds-phenomenon">underlying causes</a>, such as an immune deficiency or associated with high blood pressure.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466467/original/file-20220531-49050-6su25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People with Raynaud’s typically present with very pale and cold fingers or toes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But other factors could also be behind unusually cold hands. Anything that blocks blood getting through the vessels can result in colder extremities.</p>
<p>For example, people with uncontrolled <a href="https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/diabetes-in-australia/">diabetes</a> have a higher chance of fatty deposits forming inside blood vessels, making them narrow and hard, and inhibiting blood flow.</p>
<p>Trauma or tissue damage could also result in inhibited blood flow to the area. If someone has undergone hand or arm surgery, or had a past injury, it may impact how warm their extremities feel.</p>
<p>Another possible cause is <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anaemia">anaemia</a>, which can impair the transport of oxygen-rich blood around the body and result in cold hands and feet. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-effects-on-your-body">Smoking</a> can also be behind a case of icy fingers and toes; nicotine causes the blood vessels to narrow and reduces blood flow.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466231/original/file-20220531-22-3axo0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ever poured a cup of tea chiefly because you want to warm your hands?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Christian Moro</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-our-toes-and-fingers-get-wrinkly-in-the-bath-120229">Curious Kids: why do our toes and fingers get wrinkly in the bath?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>When is it a concern?</h2>
<p>Under normal circumstances, cold hands and feet are not a worry. </p>
<p>But just keep in mind that it’s due to a reduced blood supply reaching the extremities. Over time, this can result in brittle nails, dry or cracked skin, discoloured skin, and a feeling of tingling or numbness in the areas.</p>
<p>These regions may also be less sensitive when cold; and it can even become quite painful to use your fingers or feet when they are ice cold.</p>
<p>A reduced blood supply might make the hands and feet slower to heal if injured, potentially allowing infections to persist and grow.</p>
<p>Over time, inhibited blood flow can also damage the nerves as well. The impact on the nerves, alongside increased risks of infection, can sometimes result in the requirement for <a href="https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/diabetes-in-australia/">amputations</a>.</p>
<p>So if consistently cold hands and feet are a worry, it’s always worth mentioning this to your family doctor.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-dry-lips-and-how-can-you-treat-them-does-lip-balm-actually-help-161264">What causes dry lips, and how can you treat them? Does lip balm actually help?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What should I do about my cold hands and feet?</h2>
<p>If you do start to feel a temporary chill in your extremities, stick to the basics. You can:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>pop on a pair of thick socks; this is also beneficial for sleep, as research shows warming up the feet can help with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29699592/">sleep quality</a></p></li>
<li><p>wear gloves or mittens</p></li>
<li><p>wash your hands in warm water and <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-know-hand-dryers-can-circulate-germs-through-the-air-why-are-they-still-used-everywhere-157410">immediately dry</a> them afterwards</p></li>
<li><p>avoid abrupt changes in temperature by wearing layers of warm clothing to maintain your core temperature</p></li>
<li><p>steer clear of air-conditioned rooms where possible and find cozy spots in the sun during the day.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/466188/original/file-20220531-16-syprb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you do start to feel a temporary chill in your extremities, stick to the basics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the long term, improving your circulation is key. It helps warm your hands and feet, by ensuring the body efficiently pumps blood to where it needs to go.</p>
<p>This can be achieved with daily exercise, moving around at regular intervals during the day, and stretching your arms and legs. And of course, maintaining a healthy diet.</p>
<p>This way, even if you get a temporary chill, you’ll be back to warm in no time!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184154/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Normally, the feeling is only temporary. But if someone always has cold hands and feet, even when their body is quite warm, it could be a sign that something else is contributing.Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond UniversityCharlotte Phelps, PhD Student, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1738072022-01-12T16:13:38Z2022-01-12T16:13:38ZCover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439960/original/file-20220110-25-hc6fgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C26%2C5835%2C3904&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cold weather exercise can keep us healthy, but there are risks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Let’s face it, winter in Canada is a reality we can’t ignore. And for many of us, it means getting outside and into the cold for work, chores and exercise. But there are ways to improve your comfort and safety while being active outdoors in cold weather.</p>
<p>First off, “cold” is what physiologists (people who study human function and structure) call a “stressor,” which means your body recognizes cold as something it needs to accommodate to stay in homeostasis (when your body functions are steady). </p>
<p>We can immerse ourselves in different types of cold — including cold air and cold water — where the cold environment can be accentuated by wind and snow or rain. Here are some guidelines for exercising in cold air — there is different advice <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-3-12">for cold-water swimming</a>.</p>
<p>If you have underlying heart conditions or high blood pressure, talk to your physician about how long you should stay outdoors and what sorts of activities are recommended for you in winter.</p>
<h2>Maintaining core temperature</h2>
<p>Interestingly, in a nude or semi-nude state your body starts to recognize cold as a stressor at about 28.5 C. At this air temperature, your body’s coping mechanisms kick in to ensure your core temperature is maintained. This is why when you step out of a shower, or have few clothes on (like laying on a beach in summer) you will often shiver. </p>
<p>Adding insulative clothing to your body lowers the temperature you start to sense cold stress. In cold weather environments, our bodies produce a lot of heat when using energy to move our muscles for activities like shovelling snow or cross-country skiing. So if we wear proper insulative clothing and do enough muscular work, we can feel quite comfortable — what is called thermal comfort — in cold to very cold weather. </p>
<p>However, there are still ways to reduce risk and improve comfort while exercising outside in cold weather. Here are some things to think about as you make decisions about exercise outdoors in the winter.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of people in winter athletic gear stretch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dressing appropriately for weather conditions can keep you safe and increase your enjoyment of activities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cover your skin</h2>
<p>Reduce your exposed skin, everywhere you can. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000907">recently updated guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine</a> indicate that frostbite, which is a “direct freezing injury … of skin surface” can occur at just -3 C. Tissues with less blood flow, such as hands, feet and head are more vulnerable, especially when the cold air is extreme (less than -15 C air temperature or -27 C wind chill). </p>
<p>Frostbite can be accelerated by contact with cold materials (metal, snow, ice) and by wet skin. Wear insulative clothing that has a high wicking ability to draw moisture off skin, and keep your head, feet and hands covered at all times!</p>
<p>Your face should also be covered for a few reasons. Covering your cheeks, forehead, nose and neck improves regulation of thermal comfort, especially in windy conditions, making activities like tobogganing or alpine skiing more comfortable. The skin on your face can takes a real beating — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050060">even in moderately windy conditions, your face skin temperature can decrease 25 C</a>. </p>
<p>If you have some underlying chronic conditions, including high blood pressure or heart disease, you should cover your face. Exposing a bare face to cold — as little as -5 C — engages parts of the nervous system which can increase blood pressure. Simply wearing a toque and scarf <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1176-5">can reduce this increase</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a young child with bare hands and reddened fingertips in the snow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Frostbite and frostnip, can result in severe health consequences if not treated quickly with appropriate medical care.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protect your lungs and breath</h2>
<p>Our lungs are especially vulnerable to cold air environments, where exercise actually increases the stress on the lung in winter conditions. Your lungs, for good reason, want to warm and humidify the air we breathe to body temperature and 100 per cent humidity. They do a really good job of this at rest, but during exercise, it requires more effort to condition the air you breath in. </p>
<p>Add cold air on top of high breathing rates (as seen during exercise) and your lungs are really challenged to warm and humidify each breath. Cooling of the airway is associated with a nervous system response and drying of the airway is associated with an inflammatory response, both <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091292">which can constrict the lung (often called cold air bronchoconstriction)</a>. </p>
<p>Cold weather activity at less than 0 C, at moderate exercise intensity (brisk walking pace), <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1583528">also results in respiratory symptoms</a> including the very common runny nose and feeling irritated in the nose (itchy, burning sensation). For more intense exercise (like a hard run or cross-country ski) the symptoms increase, and can include excess mucous, productive cough (getting that mucous out) and unproductive cough (irritating cough), chest tightness (trouble breathing), wheeze and sore throat; <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2019.103262">these symptoms can persist up to 24 hours after a hard cold weather workout</a>. </p>
<p>You can take several actions to reduce these symptoms. First, slowing down your exercise intensity gives your body a chance to condition the air in each breath. Second, covering your mouth with a buff, scarf or <a href="https://skiwax.ca/collections/airtrim">cold-weather mask</a> can help some capture moisture to humidify the next breath in. Third, reducing your total exposure time in cold air, because even 30 minutes of moderate exercise can increase your symptoms and airway constriction. And finally, drink enough water during prolonged bouts of cold weather because you can lose up 100 millilitres of water per hour due to heavy breathing exercise in cold air.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irTG3UHjU7I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Mayo Clinic provides tips on exercising in the cold.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Being prepared</h2>
<p>Being unprepared in cold weather increases your overall risk of hypothermia and other cold weather related injuries. In fact, more than half of deaths associated with natural weather events are due to cold weather — directly to accidental hypothermia (severe drop in core temperature leading to death) or when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1114208">hypothermia exacerbates a pre-existing condition</a>. Note that accidental hypothermia can also occur in moderate cold, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/H07-041">which potentially puts outdoor enthusiasts at risk</a>. </p>
<p>It is also well documented that consumption of alcohol is a major risk factor in accidental hypothermia, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr076.pdf">along with prolonged exposure and inadequate clothing</a>. Other cold weather injuries include frostbite and frostnip, which can result in severe health consequences <a href="https://www.aafp.org/afp/2019/1201/p680.html">if not treated quickly with appropriate medical care</a>. </p>
<p>I hope this has helped you better understand some of the physiology behind how humans interact with cold air environments. More importantly I hope you can use some of these tips to enhance your enjoyment and safety in the winter, especially when the temperature dips well below 0 C.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173807/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Kennedy receives funding from MITACS. </span></em></p>Preparing for being active in cold weather can help keep us safe and increase our enjoyment.Michael Kennedy, Associate professor, Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1665502021-09-02T18:01:47Z2021-09-02T18:01:47ZHow Arctic warming can trigger extreme cold waves like the Texas freeze – a new study makes the connection<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418726/original/file-20210831-27-cebl7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=547%2C26%2C2178%2C1504&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Temperatures in normally warm Texas plunged into the teens in February 2021, knocking out power for a population unaccustomed to cold, with deadly consequences.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/customers-wait-in-line-to-enter-frontier-fiesta-on-february-news-photo/1231221869"> Thomas Shea / AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In February 2021, in the midst of <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i/">rapidly warming global temperatures</a>, an exceptionally severe cold wave hit large parts of North America, from Canada to Northern Mexico. It left 10 million people without power. The impact was <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-texas-blackouts-showed-how-climate-extremes-threaten-energy-systems-across-the-us-155834">particularly severe in Texas</a>, which alone had more than 125 deaths associated with the event. </p>
<p>In the U.S., it was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/08/february-cold-wave-nation-had-coldest-february-over-30-years/4630615001/">the coldest February in more than 30 years</a>. The cold wave became the nation’s <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events">costliest winter storm on record</a>.</p>
<p>The freezing temperatures were associated with a dip southward in the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/jet">jet stream</a>, a band of strong winds about eight miles above Earth’s surface associated with the boundary between colder and warmer air. </p>
<p>The jet stream flows from west to east, but that’s not the only direction in which atmospheric waves can move – they can also move up and down over large distances, and that can link the weather and climate in one region, like the Arctic, with regions elsewhere, like Texas.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Images of the globe centered on North America shows a large cold blob over much of the continent." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418199/original/file-20210827-23147-1ob67i6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surface temperatures on Feb. 15, 2021, at 6 a.m. in Texas. The black lines show the jet stream, and the white line indicates the extent of freezing temperatures.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow/University of Massachusetts Lowell</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When you <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-do-ripples-form-and-why-do-they-spread-out-across-the-water-120308">throw a rock in a pond</a>, you see ripples – waves – expand away from the initial disturbance. While ripples on a pond are a different type of wave than dips in the jet stream, both types of waves can transmit the effects of a disturbance to faraway areas.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/417929/original/file-20210825-21202-1v8p530.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Water ripples in response to a disturbance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Forance/Shutterstock.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In this case, the atmospheric waves transmitted the influence of climate change in the Arctic to parts of North America and Asia. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abi9167">study released Sept. 2, 2021</a>, in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/science">Science</a>, we show how that happens and how, counter to what one might expect, events like the February cold wave can actually become more likely with global warming.</p>
<h2>What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay there</h2>
<p>The Arctic is warming more rapidly than any other region, at a rate <a href="https://doi.org/10.25923/gcw8-2z06">more than twice the global average</a>. </p>
<p>This is causing large changes in the region’s climate, including melting sea ice and, in the late fall, increasing snow cover over Siberia. </p>
<p>Ice and snow provide an insulating layer and are highly reflective, so their changes strongly alter the amount of energy and moisture moving between the surface of the Earth and the atmosphere. The atmosphere is sensitive to changes in energy and moisture, so substantial changes provide a “kick” to the atmosphere that results in upward moving waves rippling away from the area.</p>
<p>These waves move upward into the stratosphere and disrupt the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/98/1/bams-d-15-00212.1.xml">stratospheric polar vortex</a>, another band of fast winds that circles closer around the pole in the middle stratosphere, around 18 miles up. In response, the vortex weakens and stretches.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418502/original/file-20210830-17-2e7sc2.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two circulation patterns of the stratospheric polar vortex: strong (left) and stretched (right). Blue curves indicate approximate edge of the vortex; shown at about 9.3 miles, or 15 kilometers, above the surface.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow, University of Massachusetts Lowell</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not only can the stratospheric vortex be changed by the waves, but the vortex can also change how the waves move, because the waves are influenced by the wind and temperature fields they move through, and the vortex helps determine those winds and temperatures. What differentiates a vortex stretching event from larger vortex disruptions is that upward-moving waves are reflected back down to the surface, where they can influence lower-altitude weather patterns.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418511/original/file-20210830-29-1g3g88s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A schematic shows wave activity reflecting off the stretched stratospheric polar vortex.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow, University of Massachusetts Lowell</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As these downward moving waves collect at lower altitudes over North America, they create a southward dip in the jet stream, bringing cold air farther south than usual. So, the upward and downward movement of atmospheric waves over long distances – like ripples moving across a pond – can link the Arctic to other regions.</p>
<h2>Testing cause and effect</h2>
<p>We took two different approaches to identifying and examining these relationships.</p>
<p>First, we used a machine learning, a technique in which a computer essentially trained itself to group similar events from the historical data. We then analyzed the stretched vortex events to show that, for those cases, there was a typical sequence of events: first surface temperature changes in the Arctic, then changes in the stratospheric polar vortex, followed by cold waves in North America and Asia – with vertically moving waves providing the connections over the span of a few months. The identified surface temperature changes in the Arctic are similar to those associated with the melting sea ice and increasing Siberian snow cover of Arctic climate change.</p>
<p>We then used a computer model of the atmosphere to evaluate cause and effect and directly test how the atmosphere responds to those Arctic changes. We found that the model reproduced the observed sequence of events.</p>
<p>The machine learning analysis of observations and the computer modeling experiments provide two independent lines of evidence supporting a pathway of influence – from Arctic climate change at the surface up to changes in the stratospheric winds, and finally back down to cold waves in North America and parts of Asia.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three globes show the timeline of changes through the year." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/418512/original/file-20210830-15-xleibg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A timeline shows the pathway from Arctic climate change to cold temperatures in North America. Red and blue in the third panel indicate differences from average conditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mathew Barlow/University of Massachusetts Lowell</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Implications of these results</h2>
<p>Our research reinforces two crucial lessons of climate change: First, the change doesn’t have to occur in your backyard to have a big effect on you. Second, the unexpected consequences can be quite severe.</p>
<p>In this case, large changes in the Arctic are not just a local concern – they also have wide-ranging impacts across North America and parts of Asia. And those impacts are not always what people are expecting. The results highlight another reason to rapidly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming and at the same time the need to develop better strategies for managing extreme weather events, both hot and cold.</p>
<p>[<em>Get our best science, health and technology stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-best">Sign up for The Conversation’s science newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166550/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mathew Barlow receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Judah Cohen receives funding from the US National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>Counter to what you might expect, events like the February cold wave that froze Texas can actually become more likely with global warming.Mathew Barlow, Professor of Climate Science, UMass LowellJudah Cohen, Climate scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.