Climate Control vs. Climate Crisis

A new kind of discussion has been coming up.

Are you hearing it?

It’s about the conflict between climate control inside museums — versus the climate crisis outside.

Why? 

The climate crisis is caused in no small part by burning fossil fuels to make energy.

Climate control in museums requires regulating the temperature and humidity of galleries and storage to a special level, which takes extra energy.

Loaning institutions often only grant permission to borrow if you have climate control. Every standard agreement is nonstandard — but they hover around some notorious numbers.

Typically galleries must maintain 50% relative humidity +/- 5, and 70 degrees +/-  2. A little cool, neither dry nor damp, but never changing. You’ll need a complex HVAC system and building construction. And you must keep it running.

That’s pricey, largely because it requires extra power, especially if you’re in a dry, damp, hot or cold place.

Extra power, extra energy.

And unless you’re in Iceland, where everyone’s on renewable geothermal, extra energy burns extra fossil fuels.

Here’s the thing:
Climate control inside museums requires more fossil fuels, but the climate crisis outside requires less.

Now what?

If you are having this discussion too, hit REPLY and LMK.

Warmly,
Jonathan