Talking About Green

Summer is upon us!  Which means many things, but not least of which is our sudden need to figure out about how we’re going to keep ourselves dry and cool this summer.  Whether you’re fighting off heat or humidity or both (hopefully not), the idea of living without comfort for the next few months is always un-appealing.  Given that you’re reading this on a Green site, however, I’m going to assume that the idea of draining a bunch of energy and resources and depleting our ozone layer is probably also very un-appealing.  And, that’s a good thing!  The best part of it all is that being green does not necessarily mean you’re going to have to endure sweating and over-heating all summer long.  There are varying levels to what this can look like in your home.

Air-Required, No Questions Asked

If you are living in an area in which the idea of living without some sort of cool air is simply not possible, you are not without options.  You should, first of all, opt for a room air conditioner, as opposed to a central AC system.  You’ll be able to just cool the specific room you’re going to be in, as opposed to your entire home, saving considerable costs in cooling.  You’ll also save installation costs that come standard with a central unit.  My next word of advice would be to go for an evaporative swamp cooler.  They use up to 75% less energy than an electric air conditioner and are considerably more environmentally conscious.  When picking your product, always ensure that it is Energy Star rated. And finally, make sure, if you are opting for the strength of a portable air conditioner, that you choose one that uses R-410A coolant, and definitely not R-22, an ozone depleting chemical.

I Think I Can Live Without It

If you’re looking for tips to stay cool but you’re not in an area in which air-conditioning seems to be a matter of life and death, there are plenty of ways to make the heat of the summer that much more tolerable.

Keep that House Cool.  During those hot summer months, your house has the potential to become your source of refuge or your worst enemy.  To avoid the latter, you need to do everything in your power to keep it cool.   If you want to go all out, you can consider blackout curtains on your windows.  If you’re not quite that serious, then consider blankets or old towels to cover those with the most direct sunlight.  At the very least, open your windows wide at night and close them in the wee hours of the morning.  A good nightly cool down can do wonders for a home.

Keep Yourself Cool. Whatever you can do to make yourself cool, go for it!  Eating chilled fruits and veggies, drinking ice water, you name it.  You should also keep a spray bottle of cool water handy for a light misting.  Cooled towels on your wrists can do wonders when sitting at a desk typing all day.

Be a Tourist.  When your house overheats, make like a tourist and get yourself to the nearest museum or park.  You’ll spend an enjoyable day seeing something new and you’ll take advantage of cool air for free.  Another great idea is to run your errands on the hot days.  You’ll get your grocery shopping done in bliss.

Find the Water. When you can’t think of anything else to cool down and you can’t eat any more ice chips, find some water!  Head to a local lake or river (or ocean!) and take a dip.  Can’t get away, take a cold shower.  You’ll be amazed at the effects of a couple minutes in an ice-cold shower.

Above all, just enjoy the warmth.  We spend all winter long complaining about heating bills and being miserably cold.  So get out and soak in some heat!

Author Jocelyn Anne is a freelance writer currently researching and writing about eco-friendly ways to use portable air conditioners to cool off homes and offices.