Perth, Western Australia February 2, 2008 Home News Time Out Letters Write a Letter Special Coverage Walsham Classifieds Search Real Estate Trades & Services Submit About Contact Us Advertising Legal	How new homes block natural air-con Retired scientist and lifelong bike enthusiast Bruce Robinson has found the western suburbs have a cool advantage. For anyone who needs proof that living in the western suburbs is a cool thing to do, Cottesloe resident Bruce Robinson has provided it. An avid cyclist, Bruce has noticed what a difference the sea breeze can make to the temperature - not to mention the comfort of the rider. On a recent over-55s bike club ride, held on a hot Perth summer day, Bruce and his cycling companions were sweltering their way through the city. As they turned their bikes back towards the coast and the western suburbs, they were struck by the cooling presence of the Fremantle Doctor. When he got home from that ride, Bruce decided to find out if Bureau of Meteorology figures backed up his observation that things were much cooler in the western suburbs that day. Sure enough, when he checked out the data, his hunch was confirmed. By plotting the contrasting temperatures in the western suburbs and the city, he created a graph, which demonstrates that the western suburbs have an edge when it comes to keeping cool. Bruce's graph shows how the breeze cools the western suburbs. While suburbs farther inland heat up progressively during the day, temperatures by the coast tend to start falling sooner in the day - because of the Freo Doctor. According to Bruce, this cool edge is something western suburbanites are under-using. "It's a really nice weather pattern to make use of, but many of us simply aren't making the most of it," Bruce said. "The older style houses in this area harnessed the sea breeze and used it as their natural air-conditioning." Bruce cites the prevalence of verandahs, high ceilings and well-positioned windows as proof that the older houses were well equipped to provide shelter from the heat and capture the sea breeze's cooling balm when it blew through. By contrast, many of the new houses in the western suburbs don't incorporate such features, instead opting for energy-hungry air-conditioning systems and large expanses of north-facing windows, Bruce said. A retired scientist with a passionate interest in "peak oil", Bruce is concerned about what he sees as wasteful and profligate use of energy to power air-conditioning. "We should be adapting to the climate rather than air-conditioning everything," he said. As a peak oil believer, Bruce predicts that if or when petrol rationing eventuates, and more people use bicycles, people in suburbs east of the city will be laughing. Those who commute into the city by bike from the eastern suburbs ride with the easterly wind at their back in the morning and the afternoon sea breeze blowing them home at the end of the day. Their western suburbs cousins, by contrast, must ride into headwinds each way. This leads Bruce to make a peak oil prediction. "When the bicycle revolution comes, the house prices of eastern and western suburbs will reverse."   -Louisa Harding Do you have something to say? Write to us and we may publish your letter next week. BACK TO TOP < PREVIOUS - HOME - NEXT> Copyright © 1996 - 2009 Post Newspapers Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.