From the US, I'd note that the pressures to keep worship spaces warmer due to increased numbers of elderly people in services has been a growing source of agita over my four decades in parish ministry, 1980-2020, plus the last five years as a regular supply preacher. Elderly folks getting ahold of the thermostat and cranking the heat is a constant issue in church life, especially on Sunday mornings.
I’m not sure this is a brilliant source of data. The kind of thermometers used by tuners varies enormously in accuracy, some are very inaccurate. It feels more like this is a way of securing funding for someone’s research project.
I think it's worth considering that the accuracy of readings may vary especially with data like this, for sure - but that's exactly why I spoke to a professional organ builder to see if the trend documented by the researchers tracks with their experience, and it does. It also aligns with what we know from other sources about how climate change has affected temperatures in cities. We should always consider that information about our changing climate may come in many different forms. There are multiple other projects that have used unlikely data sources to reveal important details about climate change - and, crucially, its impact on society. It's more about how varied data sources can augment and expand our understanding.
I'm a full time professional organ tuner. I can see your point and will certainly have a look at the records I have access to, but remain skeptical. I rather wish tuners would note the pitch of the organ as well as the temperature as this is far more useful for tuning purposes. The pipes act as a very sensitive 'thermometer' as they are so greatly influenced by their surroundings.
From the US, I'd note that the pressures to keep worship spaces warmer due to increased numbers of elderly people in services has been a growing source of agita over my four decades in parish ministry, 1980-2020, plus the last five years as a regular supply preacher. Elderly folks getting ahold of the thermostat and cranking the heat is a constant issue in church life, especially on Sunday mornings.
This gives new meaning to the phrase “organic records.” 😉
I’m not sure this is a brilliant source of data. The kind of thermometers used by tuners varies enormously in accuracy, some are very inaccurate. It feels more like this is a way of securing funding for someone’s research project.
I think it's worth considering that the accuracy of readings may vary especially with data like this, for sure - but that's exactly why I spoke to a professional organ builder to see if the trend documented by the researchers tracks with their experience, and it does. It also aligns with what we know from other sources about how climate change has affected temperatures in cities. We should always consider that information about our changing climate may come in many different forms. There are multiple other projects that have used unlikely data sources to reveal important details about climate change - and, crucially, its impact on society. It's more about how varied data sources can augment and expand our understanding.
I'm a full time professional organ tuner. I can see your point and will certainly have a look at the records I have access to, but remain skeptical. I rather wish tuners would note the pitch of the organ as well as the temperature as this is far more useful for tuning purposes. The pipes act as a very sensitive 'thermometer' as they are so greatly influenced by their surroundings.