Cutting Off The A/C On The Subway Only Makes Me Want It More

Everywhere in the city people are doing their part by conserving electricity:

Trying to forestall the crippling — and potentially hazardous — effects of the fiercest heat wave of the summer, New York City undertook a range of preventive measures yesterday, from shutting off the colored lights on the Empire State Building, to limiting air-conditioning in the fancy seats of Yankee Stadium, to ordering some municipal buildings, like the Rikers Island jails, to use their generators.

As temperatures around the region reached as high as 100 degrees, and as the heat index, which takes humidity into account, climbed to 113, sweltering New Yorkers sent the daily demand for power to record highs, despite city efforts to conserve. And today’s forecast calls for even hotter weather.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg set in motion an array of plans to help those most at risk. Some 400 “cooling centers” were opened in New York. Public pools stayed open an hour later than usual, until 8 p.m. City hospitals were asked to top off the fuel in their generators, and while there were no reports of fatalities, or even serious injuries, due to the heat, it was unclear what the human cost of the heat wave would be. Across the city, nurses and social workers were sent to visit the homebound elderly.

“This is a very dangerous heat wave,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “It really is more than just uncomfortable. It can seriously threaten your life.”

The city’s biggest employers, including stock exchanges, banks and tobacco companies, heeded requests from Consolidated Edison and the mayor to reduce power consumption by dimming lights and shutting down fountains and some elevators. Some switched to generators to lighten the load on the power grid.

. . .

At Citigroup’s headquarters on Park Avenue, one car in each elevator bank was taken out of service, and the air-conditioning was turned down. The big “Citi” sign atop the company’s tower in Long Island City, Queens, was switched off.

The torch and crown of the Statue of Liberty will remain illuminated so they are visible to pilots, but the lights in its base have been turned off. Thermostats in city buildings were set yesterday at 78 degrees, as they were at the main hall on Ellis Island and in buildings that are part of the sprawling Gateway National Recreation Area. Barry Sullivan, superintendent of the recreation area, said he gave his employees permission to wear “professional-looking shorts and short-sleeved button-down shirts sans ties.”

The AMC Empire 25 movie theater seemed to be following the mayor’s advice last night. What exactly do they think we paid $10.75 for? Movie theaters are the cooling centers of the middle class!