1OK, Jack. Before we plan our presentation about refrigeration,
2let's discuss what we've discovered so far.
3Fine, Annie.
4Though I have to admit I haven't done much research yet.
5Nor me.
6But I found an interesting article about icehouses.
7I'd seen some 18th- and 19th-century ones here in the UK,
8so I knew they were often built in a shady area or underground,
9close to lakes that might freeze in the winter.
10Then blocks of ice could be cut and stored in the icehouse.
11But I didn't realise that insulating the blocks with straw or sawdust meant they didn't melt for months.
12The ancient Romans had refrigeration, too.
13I didn't know that.
14Yes, pits were dug in the ground,
15and snow was imported from the mountains -
16even though they were at quite a distance.
17The snow was stored in the pits.
18Ice formed at the bottom of it.
19Both the ice and the snow were then sold.
20The ice cost more than the snow
21and my guess is that only the wealthy members of society could afford it.
22I wouldn't be surprised.
23I also came across an article about modern domestic fridges.
24Several different technologies are used,
25but they were too complex for me to understand.
26You have to wonder what happens when people get rid of old ones.
27You mean because the gases in them are harmful for the environment?
28Exactly.
29At least there are now plenty of organisations that will recycle most of the components safely,
30but of course some people just dump old fridges in the countryside.
31It's hard to see how they can be stopped unfortunately.
32In the UK we get rid of three million a year altogether!
33That sounds a lot, especially because fridges hardly ever break down.
34That's right.
35In this country we keep domestic fridges for 11 years on average,
36and a lot last for 20 or more.
37So if you divide the cost by the number of years you can use a fridge, they're not expensive,
38compared with some household appliances.
39True.
40I suppose manufacturers encourage people to spend more by making them different colours and designs.
41I'm sure when my parents bought their first fridge they had hardly any choice!
42Yes, there's been quite a change.
43Right, let's make a list of topics to cover in our presentation,
44and decide who's going to do more research on them.
45Then later, we can get together and plan the next step.
46OK.
47How about starting with how useful refrigeration is,
48and the range of goods that are refrigerated nowadays?
49Because of course it's not just food and drinks.
50No, I suppose flowers and medicines are refrigerated, too.
51And computers.
52I could do that, unless you particularly want to.
53No, that's fine by me.
54What about the effects of refrigeration on people's health?
55After all, some of the chemicals used in the 19th century were pretty harmful,
56but there have been lots of benefits too,
57like always having access to fresh food.
58Do you fancy dealing with that?
59I'm not terribly keen, to be honest.
60Nor me.
61My mind just goes blank when I read anything about chemicals.
62Oh, all right then, I'll do you a favour.
63But you owe me, Jack.
64OK.
65What about the effects on food producers,
66like farmers in poorer countries being able to export their produce to developed countries?
67Something for you, maybe?
68I don't mind. It should be quite interesting.
69I think we should also look at how refrigeration has helped whole cities - like Las Vegas,
70which couldn't exist without refrigeration
71because it's in the middle of a desert.
72Right.
73I had a quick look at an economics book in the library that's got a chapter about this sort of thing.
74I could give you the title, if you want to do this section.
75Not particularly, to be honest.
76I find economics books pretty heavy going, as a rule.
77OK, leave it to me, then.
78Thanks.
79Then there's transport,
80and the difference that refrigerated trucks have made.
81I wouldn't mind having a go at that.
82Don't forget trains, too.
83I read something about milk and butter being transported in refrigerated railroad cars in the USA,
84right back in the 1840s.
85I hadn't thought of trains. Thanks.
86Shall we have a separate section on domestic fridges?
87After all, they're something everyone's familiar with.
88What about splitting it into two?
89You could investigate 19th- and 20th-century fridges,
90and I'll concentrate on what's available these days,
91and how manufacturers differentiate their products from those of their competitors.
92OK, that'd suit me.