Playa Works: The Myth Of The Empty (Environmental Arts and Humanities Series)

Writer-poet William L. Fox has spent much of his career contemplating the complex ways that landscape, human cognition, and history collide to create our perceptions and treatment of place. In PLAYA WORKS, Fox considers the West's emptiest spaces-the playas, or dry beds, of the ancient lakes that once filled much of the Great Basin. Among the flattest, most barren places on the planet, the West's playas have haunted the American imagination since the Frémont expedition first surveyed them in the early nineteenth century. The human psyche, Fox maintains, is ill suited to contend with playas. Humankind evolved in the tree-and-grassland environment of the African savannahs, and our powers of visual cognition suffer acute dissonance in the featureless void of the playa. Consequently, our relationship to these spaces has been fraught with uneasiness and misunderstanding, sometimes resulting in death and destruction, sometimes inspiring remarkable art. In the eight brilliant essays that comprise this book, Fox explores many of the major playas of the American West, examining locations as diverse as Nellis Air Force Base and Frenchman Flat, where the federal government has tested experimental aircraft and atomic weaponry; the Great Salt Lake Desert, where land-speed records have been broken; and the Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada, site of the colorful Burning Man arts festival. He analyzes the geological and climatological conditions that created the playas and the historical role that playas played in the exploration and settlement of the West. And he offers lucid and keenly perceptive discussions of the ways that artists have responded to the playas, from the ancient makers of geoglyphs to the work of contemporary artists who have found inspiration in these enigmatic spaces, including earthworks builder Michael Heizer, photographer Richard Misrach, and painter Michael Moore. The ensemble is a compelling combination of natural history, philosophy, and art criticism, a thoughtful meditation on humankind's aversion to and fascination with the void. In PLAYA WORKS, Fox's passion for the American West combines with his scholar's curiosity and power of analysis to produce one of the most engaging discussions yet of the natural phenomena that we call playas. This is nature writing at its best-provocative, profound, richly intelligent, and delightfully adventurous. William L. Fox is the author of six works of nonfiction exploring the arid regions of the American Southwest. He recently spent a season in the Antarctic as a participant in the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Visiting Artists and Writers program, and served as a visiting scholar at the Getty Research Institute to work in its art and cognition program, and as a Lannan Foundation writer-in-residence. He has also published fourteen volumes of poetry and has written for more than seventy magazines and journals. The Future of Cooling in China Abstract Executive summary Findings and recommendations Delivering on sustainable air conditioning in China Space cooling demand in China is rising rapidly The air conditioner market in China is evolving Cooling equipment efficiency is lower than its potential Cooling demand will continue to grow to 2030 Efficiency can improve cooling comfort without increasing energy use Efficient cooling is possible with effective policy Introduction Energy and emissions from cooling are on the rise Cooling demand in urban residential buildings is rising quickly Cooling in non-residential buildings is intensifying The cooling market in China is evolving Occupant behaviour has a big impact on cooling energy use Larger cooling units are increasingly popular Energy consumption differs across cooling equipment There is a gap between real and rated energy performance The market is not keeping up with energy efficiency potential Building size and cooling system design affect energy intensity Cooling demand is expanding to different building types Demand for cooling will indubitably grow to 2030 Greater affordability of cooling will propel continued growth Changing occupant behaviour will impact cooling demand Changing climate will increase overall need for cooling comfort Building design will affect the underlying need for cooling Energy use for cooling could swell by 2030 Changing behaviour could increase cooling demand further Efficiency can improve cooling services without growing energy Energy-efficient cooling can benefit health and save money Recommendations to unlock energy-efficient cooling Encourage “part time” and “part space” cooling behaviour Raise energy performance standards Pay attention to real-time system operating efficiency Urge passive design and natural ventilation where possible Promote suitable indoor comfort levels Work with manufacturers to enable demand-side response Consider refrigerant choice when addressing energy efficiency Conclusions References Acronyms and units of measure Acknowledgements Table of contents List of figures List of boxes List of tables "Writer-poet William L. Fox has spent much of his career contemplating the complex ways that landscape, human cognition, and history collide to create our perceptions and treatment of place. In Playa Works, Fox considers the West's emptiest spaces - the playas, or dry beds, of the ancient lakes that once filled much of the Great Basin. Among the flattest, most barren places on the planet, the West's playas have haunted the American imagination since the Fremont expedition first surveyed them in the early nineteenth century."--BOOK JACKET. In the eight essays collected here, William L. Fox considers the American West's emptiest spaces - the playas, or dry beds, of the lakes that once filled much of the Great Basin. Combining natural history, philosophy and art criticism, he meditates on our aversion to and fascination with the void.