Hypothermia in Jurassic Park

Story 15/21: Meat Loaf at Waterfront in the Finger Lakes region

Hypothermia in Jurassic Park

Story 15/21: Meat Loaf at Waterfront in the Finger Lakes region

July, 1993

It has been a great summer day at the Finger Lakes Region, upstate New York. The Waterfront crew of a local Boy Scout Camp has spent a most swell teambuilding day, having all the fun with the aquatic equipment.

There is now a couple of days break between summer camps, and we have been doing good job on serving the Cub- and Boy Scouts of various troops that have been visiting the grounds. As a reward, our boss decided, that he will stay with us the whole day, so that we can do the water-sports to the full.

So, after a long day of water-skiing and windsurfing, we quickly rush to our tents to change to dry “civilian” clothes – meaning shorts, T-shirts and sandals. We then return to the boathouse for couple of sodas listening to one of our summer anthems, the 1977 “Bat Out of Hell” -album of Meat Loaf.

We cram to the station wagon, and I enjoy the summer heat it radiates. “Hot Summer Night” from the car stereo interprets nicely the scenery of Upstate New York as we wheel to the mall. We have taken the early evening show of the brand-new dinosaur-movie “Jurassic Park”.

The parking lot still reflects the sunshine of the day and it feels like a great idea to take large pop corns and Dr Pepper to the cinema. The crowd is enjoying the film, but I start noticing the air-conditioning. I am getting colder – and start to shiver. The shaking going more intense, my bladder suddenly feels like an extruding fountain.

I barely make it in time to the loo. Shaking like a bush in a storm I hope not to hose the whole restroom. I wash my hands with warm water and choose an air-drier, that I usually hate. I desperately would need the hot air it blows but as it is summer, understandably it is just mildly warm and the breeze makes me shiver more – maybe reminding me the wind on the lake earlier today.

The rest of the movie I keep running into toilet, shivering and flexing my muscles trying to generate some heat. I swear on my vanity not to have taken any long-sleeved shirt – not to mention the fleece jacket. Then again – who would do that in the warm summer evening? I do not remember much of the end of the movie, but boy, am I happy to get out! I start doing push-ups at the warm tarmac. 

How ironic; even though I had by the time spent over a hundred nights in a tent and lot of that in winter and after getting wet climbing on ice falls, the first time I get hypothermia is after a sunny, but windy day of water sports, Upstate New York.

I suppose, that accidents tend to happen, when you least expect them. In cold conditions I am aware and prepared to react, if I start to feel too cold. But even though swimming water feels warm, it is colder than body temperature and combined with the cooling effect of the wind on a wet skin – for too long time… 

Epilogue: After the continuous need to running into a toilet and shivering uncontrollably I realized why – years before – the Finnish Girl Guide had refused to drink the warm water offered to her in the blizzard. (See “Iceland – Stormy skiing”.)  She must have sensed the hypothermia, but with the storm winds blasting all around the idea of having to take down the pants and pee must have been truly unpleasant.

Not to mention the people around and the exposed empty terrain, but shivering all over and needing to uncover part of your body to the freezing temperature around. I really get her agony now. 

Some background data:

RECREATION

Water sports:

Windsurfing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsurfing

Water skiing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_skiing

Music:

Music industry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_industry

LP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LP_record

Cassette tape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape

CD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc

Streaming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_media

Movie industry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_industry

Questions – see links above, books, Internet or digital media for answers:

1. Water sports. Before the movies we water skied, windsurfed, fished and swam. Think of the natural resources needed to these four recreational delights.

1a. Put them in order of decreasing sustainability considering:

– the raw materials needed to manufacture the instruments needed for each action

– the amount of natural resources consumed during the activity

– required number of parts, lubricants and other chemicals in maintenance during one summer

– the life-span of the instruments needed for each “hobby” and how many people can use the same gear

– is recycling or “aftermarket” available for some gear

1b. How could the least sustainable water sport of these done in more sustainable way? Think of:

– Who owns the gear? (Frequency of use of manufactured good)

– Can (part of) the equipment be rented or borrowed?

– Are there alternatives to replace the most contaminant part(s) of that hobby?

– How often, with what intensity and for how long the activity takes place?

– Location: swimming outdoors vs. in a heated pool or water skiing close to delicate marine life vs. busy recreational area

2. Music. We were listening to “Bat Out of Hell”, 1977 by Meat Loaf. We played it from a tape recorder. At the moment I have it as standard CD and a concert version with a Philharmonic Orchestra. Upon writing this I am listening to it from Spotify. It was originally printed as vinyl (LP record). So, over the years there are fans, that have gone to concerts, listened to radio or TV, bought it as LP, Compact Cassette, Compact Disk (CD) or concert DVD / Blu-ray and may listen it now from streaming services.

Compare different forms of listening to music and consider: 

2a. Social aspects: 

Company, location and time – where, with whom and when you listen:

– if you listen through headphones or loudspeakers (live or recorded)

– if in a concert, café, store or other public place, where the music is played

– time of the day and mood of the people around you

– is it background music and/or played loud

– do you know the people around you or may you come across unexpected people

2b. Economical aspects: 

– Have you paid for the music? If yes, do you have “eternal” or limited access?

– If you are not paying from the music, who is? Maybe you are occasionally served some adds that pay for the service? Or the space you are in is playing royalties of the music they play?

– What means do you need to play the music? A player, a phone, headphones, loudspeakers?

2c. Environmental aspects: 

Raw materials.

– What has been required to produce the sources of your music?

– If the source is a server somewhere, have you ever seen a server hall – or footage from there?

Energy. 

Do you know how much energy is needed to play the music? 

– Electricity at the location of listening?

– Amount of electricity on various servers in the Internet?

– Is it “green”, fossil or nuclear energy? Can you influence on that?

Delivery.

– Did you or someone else have to move to get the music to you?

– The infrastructure. If the music comes streamed, think of data transfer: cables, fibre-optics, link towers, satellites, etc. needed for delivery.

3. Watching movies. Compare differences on if you see the same film in a movie theatre, from linear TV, from DVD or Blu-ray or through some streaming service. Consider: 

3a. Social aspects: 

Company, location and time – where, with whom and when you listen:

– Are you alone or with some people you know?

– Do you know the people around you or may you come across unexpected people?

– Time of the day and mood of the people around you?

– Can you influence on the time the movie is played?

3b. Economical aspects: 

– Have you paid for the movie? If yes, do you have “eternal” or limited access?

– If you are not paying from the film, who is? Maybe you are occasionally served some adds that pay for the service?

– What means do you need to play the music? A phone, player, screen, TV, projector, headphones, loudspeakers?

3c. Environmental aspects: 

Raw materials.

– What has been required to produce the means and location you enjoy the movie?

– How many people use the “entertainment centre” for watching movies?

– Is it used for something else?

– How often it is used – for something?

Energy. 

Do you know how much energy is needed to play the movie? 

– Electricity at the location? Electricity per viewer?

– Amount of electricity on various servers in the Internet, if streamed?

– Is it “green”, fossil or nuclear energy? Can you influence on that?

Delivery.

– Did you or someone else have to move to get the movies?

– The infrastructure. If the movie comes streamed, think of data transfer: cables, fibre-optics, link towers, satellites, etc. needed for delivery.

4. Discuss. Your view: What thoughts did rise in your mind having read the story, browsing through the background material and answering to the three questions above? Can you see links between the three topics handled in questions above? Discuss with your pair.

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