From Duncan Cameron, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
John Pickrell suggests ways to stay cool in heatwaves (20 January, p 36). Before Saddam Hussein came to power, I lived in Basra in southern Iraq. It was said to be the hottest major city on the planet, with both high humidity and 40°C summer temperatures.
The modern city of cement and brick with asphalt boulevards was almost uninhabitable in summer without air conditioning. The old city was better, with closely packed light wooden structures in narrow alleys. But the prize belonged to the people of the Mesopotamian marshes to the north, who probably knew more than anyone about natural climate amelioration. They had lived in buildings adapted to the climate since Babylonian times. These were made of bundles of reeds that didn't absorb heat, with open entrances that ensured a flow of air. They were delightful to sit in.
Is it possible to envisage a post-anthropogenic climate change architecture that learns from the experts of the past?
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