Thank you, Bob Sander, for your poignant story in the last article of this column about how our modern habits are separating us from nature. You and Nancy are the most grounded people I know, and your home in Rocky Ripple always affords a visitor a wonderful reconnection with nature that many appreciate yet find difficult to create for themselves. This difficulty arises from the fact that most of us have bought into the notion that life needs to be synthetically comfortable and universally convenient.

Patty and I live in Broad Ripple, and, in spite of the recent heat spell, we have only used our air conditioning system one night so far this summer. We live with our windows open as part of our commitment to "Intentional Living." Our aspirations of becoming Greener requires us to reflect on our habits and routines, activities we perform automatically - without thinking - and deliberately change them for a Greener outcome. If you were to try living with your windows open, let's say for one month - only using your air conditioning as a last resort to avoid heat stroke or suffocation, your life would bear significant consequences.

The first thing that would strike you is just how few people live with their windows open in Broad Ripple. I know Bob Sander does in Rocky Ripple because I don't believe he even has air conditioning. Yet, I can tell you that virtually no one on my street and surrounding area regularly has their windows open. All my neighbors seem to be afflicted by the synthetic comfort syndrome. They wake up in their air conditioned houses; drive to work in their air conditioned cars; work all day long in their air conditioned offices whose windows don't even open; and return home to their cool houses that have been kept that way all day long in their absence by their universally convenient thermostat set at 68 degrees. They know the day has been hot only because they watch the weather channel.

The second consequence you will experience is quite spatial. An open window expands the interior to the outdoors and invites the outdoors in. One becomes much more aware of the activities in the yard and down the street. In time you get to know the antics of the Sparrow, the diligence of the Wren with young, and the fierceness of the Blue Jay as you witness nature's panorama unfold even in our urban setting. A new appreciation of the subtlety of weather is possible as it changes hour by hour, day by day, week by week, and season to season. It is cause for ritual and celebration that, in the two billion year history of Planet Earth, there have never been two days with the exact same weather. Even this modest interaction with nature has enriched our lives to the extent that it easily overcomes the increased dust and diminished sense of privacy and security that comes along with open-window living. As air conditioning uses 10 to 20 times more electricity than an electric fan, we feel good that we may be reducing our contribution to CO2 emissions and, at the same time, are realizing a financial benefit as well.

Most disturbing, you will experience the high level of noise pollution that pervades our environment. Humming compressors, alarms, sirens, barking dogs, airplanes, traffic and motorcycles all contribute to pollution that, to quote Wikipedia, ". . . can seriously damage and effect physiological and psychological health. For instance, noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, and other harmful effects depending on the level of sound, or how loud it is. Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks." The fact that air conditioning insulates so many of us from this form of pollution may be contributing to its growth. The one time we used air conditioning this summer was not to obtain relief from the weather, but from young revelers conversing at the top of their voices and sometimes yelling and screaming at 2:30 in the morning in the street 30 feet away from our open bedroom window. They seemed unaware and unconcerned for our well being. So it may well be that, besides the other benefits of open window living the most valuable will be that it will reconnect us to our awareness of and respect for our neighbors then we might all hear the cricket.