Frugal Green Living: More Cheap Ways To Stay Cool This Summer

Air conditioning is a dumb mechanical response to a design problem, and since WWII and the development of affordable central air conditioning, we have tended to ignore the traditional methods and moved into warmer places. But it is a huge problem; William Salatan nailed it in an article in Slate:

Air conditioning takes indoor heat and pushes it outdoors. To do this, it uses energy, which increases production of greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere. From a cooling standpoint, the first transaction is a wash, and the second is a loss. We're cooking our planet to refrigerate the diminishing part that's still habitable."

So every year about this time, Planet Green offers suggestions for low cost, low energy alternatives, in posts like: Beat the Heat: 7 Low-Tech Lifestyle Hacks to Stay Cool and Energized 7 Ways to Improve the Efficiency of Your Cooling System 7 Low-Tech Ways to Keep Your Bedroom Cool in the Summer Heat and our Low-Tech Air Conditioning Guide

With so many posts, it seems one might actually run out of tips, but we have found a few more to add to the pile, highlighting those we have not mentioned before.

MSN suggests:

- Avoid landscaping with lots of unshaded rock, cement, or asphalt on the south or west sides. It increases the temperature around the house and radiates heat to the house after the sun has set.

- Air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

- Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity.

They also suggest that you should lower your water heater temperature to 115 degrees; don't do it, it can make you sick; that is the ideal breeding range for legionnaires disease.

Mother Nature Network has some interesting ones:

Cool that pulse point

When you were sick as a child, your mom may have brought you a cold facecloth. This idea works the same way. Chill your pulse points by running cold water over your wrist for a minute or so each hour. Splashing water on your temples or face can produce a similar effect. And be sure to put some of that tap water into a glass and stay hydrated.

And another that I really like:

Eat to sweat

Latin America, India, Thailand — some of the world's hottest places. And they happen to serve some of the world's hottest foods. Scientists have argued for years over why this is the case, but the most likely reason is that spicy foods make you sweat without actually raising body temperature. Chalk it up to capsaicin, a chemical found in things like hot peppers. Once your skin is damp, you'll feel cooled by its evaporation.

SquawkFox suggests that you move into your basement:

If your home is blazing hot and you can't handle the heat upstairs, try sleeping in the basement to cool your costs. Setting up a bed and sleeping below ground is free and can help you catch some ZZZs when the weather is unbearable. I've spent most of this summer slumbering in my basement and I think it's an awesome use for an often unloved space. If you've got kiddlets then make it a game and lay out some sleeping bags and pretend you're camping. You may just have some frugal fun while you're at it.

Wikihow lists 15 ideas, some of which are a bit strange:

Breathe like a dog. Try the [[Breathe Like a dog} Roll your tongue into a tube with the tip outside the mouth. Continuing slow deep breath, breath in through the tube and then move your chin to your chest as you breath out through your nose. Do that 5-10 times and you should start to feel cooler. Dogs often use their tongues to cool themselves; perhaps this yoga practice comes from noticing that.

And this one reminded me to run downstairs and turn off my gas fireplace for the summer!

Adjust your pilot light. If you have a gas stove with pilot lights, make sure they are set correctly. Too high and they'll produce excess heat. We stop using the oven in the summer and just turn the gas off.

And finally, the Digerati life makes some fine suggestions that are social as well as cooling, such as visiting the beach, water amusement parks or community pools.

They have a point; get out there and be part of your community and visit an air conditioned museum or library.