Why Air Conditioning Could Spell Fatality for Australians and the Importance of Traditional Indigenous Practices
- Study Reveals Air Conditioning as a Risk Factor for Heat-Related Deaths
A comprehensive study exploring heat-related deaths in the Northern Territory of Australia has revealed that air conditioning is undermining our ability to adapt to high temperatures. The research, published in The Lancet, analyzed temperature data from deaths occurring between 1980 and 2020, encompassing over 15,800 Indigenous and nearly 16,000 non-Indigenous deaths.
Experts from the Australian National University found that increased reliance on air-conditioned environments is making individuals more susceptible to heat stress. Surprisingly, the study also found that Indigenous individuals, despite having less access to air-conditioned spaces, were not more vulnerable to heat-related mortality compared to non-Indigenous individuals.
Research into heat-related deaths in the Northern Territory has found air conditioning is affecting individuals ability to adapt to rising temperatures and traditional ways to stay cool may be safer (stock image)
‘The social and cultural practices developed by First Nations people over generations, such as reducing physical exertion during hotter parts of the day, are potent mechanisms for safeguarding human health,’ stated lead author Simon Quilty.
Warumungu Elder and study co-author Norman Frank Jupurrurla emphasized that the results should inform housing policies in the Northern Territory, urging the construction of houses designed to suit the hot climate rather than replicating housing styles from colder regions.
Many warm countries have traditionally embraced a mid-day downtime, like the Spanish siesta, to avoid subjecting the body to excessive stress during dangerous heat periods. However, these practices are gradually being abandoned in favor of being constantly available during the working day in our globalized society.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
