It was 20 years ago that an event changed the way the world is today. 911. For many of us reading, we will remember that day, and possibly some have stories of how it personally affected them. For others, it may have taken a few more years of aging to fully understand all the ramifications of that day.
We are currently in another world changing event. The ASHRAE community, like others, are coping with restrictions and trying to best perform their work duties in a changing work environment. I’m sure most are seeing the result of governments and private industry investing in upgrades on ventilation systems and air purity with a focus on containment and removal of air born particles. Through this, ASHRAE has maintained their recommended guidelines as the most effective way to reduce the spread of infectious aerosols. As an ASHRAE community, we all have a part in that task.
Though it is uncertain on how our future social and work related activities will look in the short term, we can all take pride in the fact that the line of work we have chosen has a direct impact on minimizing the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic. No one can predict what the future impact of Covid 19 will be, but I hope that on its 20th anniversary, the storyline will be of how the spread of the virus was diminished and managed. After 911, the world saw that there was better way to ensure human safety and adapted to ensure that. I hope it’s the same this time.
Peter Litwinow - Historian