Inside Out explores changes in human environments
Are we in harmony with nature? This is a good question to ask ourselves regularly. If we find we are not, we may look at our behavior, opinions, attitudes and thoughts and see if we can make some adjustments in any of those areas. We will probably notice that we are out of alignment if we are not happy, exhausted all of the time, forcing our selfish will onto all or most of the things we do, are mentally confused or agitated, are angry a lot, and/or find ourselves restless or feeling bored often. None of these things are terribly pleasant, though they all are very strong messengers that we are not in harmony with the greater universe in which we live.
It is quite humorous if we are tuned into receiving the messages that the universe or God are sending to us. Humorous in that it is almost blatantly obvious what or how we might improve things for ourselves and others. The points of resistance or hardcore attachments we have to our old beliefs and ways are the hindrances to receiving the true nature of life and being in the flow of life. Fear is the obstacle. Love is the energy of the spirit of life. We can, gratefully and graciously always realign ourselves fairly easily. Of course, if we think it will be hard, it will be. We can change that thought too, though!
Today’s book is a fascinating study of the microbiomes we humans have created in fully air and environmentally conditioned environments in buildings we live and work in, and the effects this has on human health. Inside OUT: Human Health and the Air-conditioning Era was edited by Elizabeth Mccormick in 2024. With input from biologists, anthropologists and other architects Ms. Mccormick has brought together a very realistic and clear description of how we have gotten to the place we are in in building environments historically, and how this place we are at effects our health and well-being.
Have you ever stepped outside on a crisp day, taken a big breathe of cool fresh air and just felt better? This seems an obvious question, with an obvious answer. Have you been deprived of this act for any long period of time? Any long airplane trips. Any long work days in an office building in a hot city? Long could be just hours for some of us. We need fresh air. Absolutely true. Without it we are not living a healthy life. Period. Please consider this as it may apply to you.
“Inside OUT: Human Health and the Air-conditioning Era focuses on the enclosed environment of fully conditioned buildings, revealing a unique ecosystem with broad implications for human life and a rapidly expanding global footprint. Emphasizing the interconnections between buildings and human health, equity, and environmental sustainability, it presents an interdisciplinary, holistic analysis of the social, behavioral, and technological issues of indoor space. Over the 20th century, advances in mechanical conditioning technologies led to the dispersion and international dominance of the sealed building envelope, which casually and progressively disconnected buildings and their occupants from local climatic, biological, and cultural environments. At the same time, humans were increasingly pushed indoors by less tangible, socially constructed forces that associated climate control with cleanliness, health, social status, and modernization.” This