Wow! I've never seen that before, though I can't figure out why the guy was so worked up about not wanting it. A dozen years ago, when I was doing my kitchen, the popular tropes were about the death of the ”work triangle” and rise of work stations, which has a point, but if you've ever tried to cook in a kitchen with a bad work triangle, you'll soon want a good one. ;)

Everything you've said is true, of course. My father grew up with an ice box, and the iceman's horse who knew the delivery route, Or was that the milkman's horse who would walk on to the next house while the product was being carried in? Perfect fusion of old time intelliget transportation and post industrialization technology. Before the industrial revolution, most people had to take their food to the ice house, stream or cellar for cool storage. It's not just electric refrigeration (and electricity altogether), but insulation, wire shelves and other tech already in that icebox. And the masses of people who no longer die from accidental food poisoning...but our relatively wimpy immune systems that start attacking ourselves because they're bored... ... .... And would you like your lobster from Maine or your crab from Oregon? Either will be packed in ice, just as the Romans did it, minus the aeroplane.

I have friends whose family wealth (such as it is) came from being ice harvesters in Maine.

https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/2825/page/4457/display?use_mmn=1

We had an ice box in our Maine house when I was little. I can vaguely remember it. We went back and forth from NYC and rural Maine.

I have been think about electricity a lot lately. I have several friends who live without by choice or by budget. Our power went up 30% last year and are going up 30-50% next year. So yet more will be going without. I would find it hard to give up my fridge and freezer.

My one friend who chooses to live without has made a series of rather elegant adjustments to adapt - solar lights, gas powered stove, a sauna etc... Her home is lovely - the home of an artist. But she is thinking hard about aging in place. Her diet is determined by her lack of refrigeration - lots of salads in summer and soups in winter. She has resources to buy what she needs and doesn’t seem to have issues with refrigeration. Spring on a rural dirt road is her issue (I have a less extreme version of the same issue)

The other couple I am thinking of I saw on election day. They came to my mom’s with a bunch of fresh fish from their local food pantry - I made chowder for all. The man sang traditional country music. I chatted with his partner about dogs, winter preparation and chowder recipes. I had to leave to vote. I was so dispirited to talk to enormously kind generous folks who live so marginally and saw no point to voting. No electricity meant a weeks worth of food needed to be eaten immediately. And access to fresh food seemed more limited by budget and lack of safe storage.

When the people from other states moved to rural Maine in the 60-70s many found local mentors who taught them the skills to live in rural Maine. This gentleman’s family was that for my mom’s partner.

I lived without electricity for several years in the early 70s., and only cold water to the house--faucet at the kitchen sink (at least I didn't have to pump it). I had a milk cow too, so all the washing associated with milking had to be done. Laundry done by hand. Wood cook stove. Perfectly clear why the main meal was at noon and leftovers finished up for evening meal. There was a cellar where food could be kept cool--not cold. I wouldn't want to have to do it again, but I'm glad I did. (And I can kill and clean a chicken in less than 10 minutes if the water temperature is right for plucking)