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It's summertime. Which means it's getting hot. Which means it's about time to reach for the A/C to keep your house in the cool low 70s. Or not.
See, air conditioning is a huge drain on your electricity consumption—and it's just about the most tempting luxury to lean on when you feel even the slightest bit of perspiration kicking in. Even though it might seem barbaric in this day and age to even consider foregoing the A/C, let me assure you—it can be done. And if you're willing to step forward, if you've got the guts, you can stand up to summer without using any A/C at all.
- Disrobe
I'm not suggesting that anyone get lewd or anything but I am serious—removing or changing a couple pieces of clothing can make the difference between sweating and sitting comfortably. Case in point: I'll often get home after being out and about, plop down on the couch with my jeans on, and promptly wonder why I'm still so hot. It's common advice now for green blogs to recommend you put on a sweater in the winter as opposed to cranking up the heat—I'm simply recommending you take your pants off instead of going for the A/C. - Wear Baggy Clothes
If you're not willing to ditch your duds, then you should at least change in to something more comfortable. Baggy clothes allow for air to flow between the fabric and your skin, which lets your sweat evaporate more easily. This helps keep you cool in a big way. Tight clothes plaster that sweat against your skin, compounding the effect of the heat. See if donning some sweat pants or a muumuu won't cool you down enough to let you forget about the air conditioning. - Get Wet
Listen, I seriously didn't set out to load this post with innuendos, it just happened. I can't explain it but the advice still stands. While showering throughout the day isn't any greener than cranking the A/C, if there's a lake, stream, or river nearby where you can take a dip, you'll find yourself refreshed for a good while afterwards. Even if there isn't a nearby body of water, splashing a little water on your face when washing up can do wonders, too. - Head for the Shade
Take advantage of evotranspiration—that's the process by which plants move and emit water vapor. Combined with shade, the process can make the nearby temperature a full on 9 degrees (F) cooler. So curl up in the shade near some plants, and bingo. With some advance planning, the right trees, and a little effort, you can landscape your home to be the ideal A/C-free outdoors paradise.
Standing up to summer heat the green way is not as scary as it sounds. It's even easier when you consider the impact running an A/C unit has on the environment. Air conditioners take heat from a room and push it outdoors but to do this they need energy; lots of it. Producing this energy creates greenhouse gases, an estimate 3,400 additional pounds of them annually, depletes resources, and, well, you know the story.
So the motivation is clear: Keep the A/C switched off this summer to help make the planet a cooler place.
More on Air Conditioning and Energy Savings:
Energy Saving Tip: Shade Your Air Conditioner For Up To A 10% Efficiency Improvement
Air Conditioning With Ice Energy—Climate Saving Can Be Cool
How to Go Green: Electricity
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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