Think you can’t live without the air conditioner blasting all summer? Think again…
For hundreds, if not thousands, of years, mankind has existed on this planet without the blissfully cooling whispers of the air conditioner. In fact, the era of the air conditioner is fairly young. And whether you realize it or not, air conditioning is an extremely unsustainable way of taking the bite out of the summertime heat.
Besides consuming huge quantities of energy, which likely comes from fossil fuels, A/Cs also use HFCs as a refrigerant. HFCs are a type of man-made fluorocarbon which acts as an extremely potent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. While HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer like their forefathers (CFCs), they do contribute to rising global temperatures. So, even if your A/C is powered by wind, solar, and bike, air conditioning still isn’t an environmentally friendly option.
With the environment in mind, it is smart to limit A/C use as much as possible. Of course, if the circumstances are quite dire—as they were when I was driving through southern California in 120 degrees Fahrenheit the other day—then, by all means, keep yourself healthy. But, if you’d like to move away from unsustainable modern conveniences, here are a few old school methods that will work wonders to keep you cool.
Wear breathable fabrics. Ditch the synthetic stuff in favor of thin, natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, or even thin wool. Natural fibers are far more breathable and will help your body to wick away excess heat and moisture.
Opt for damp clothes. If you are sweating a lot, try to wear lightly damp clothes rather than dry. The moisture will keep you far cooler for a significant amount of time, as it pulls heat away from the body. Try line-drying your clothes if you are going to opt for damp articles during a heat wave. This will save energy by avoiding the power-hungry clothes dryer, since you’re going to wear damp clothes anyways.
Additionally, if you are having trouble falling asleep because of the heat, make your bed with damp cotton sheets and use a fan to suck some of the excess heat out of your body.
Go for spicy. It may seem counterintuitive, but consuming spicy foods when you’re hot can actually help you feel cooler. Think about it: most cultures that notoriously consume spicy foods lie on or near the equator. Why does spice help beat the heat? For one, spicy foods make you sweat, which naturally cools you down. Secondly, the perceived heat of the food may play a trick on your brain to make the environmental heat feel more manageable in contrast. Try making something easy in a blender, like a fresh and spicy raw gazpacho, to refresh your palate and beat the heat.
Find shade. Try to avoid direct sunlight on a sweltering summer day. The same goes for your car, too. By keeping the windows slightly cracked and the car in a well shaded area, you won’t cook yourself when you get back into the driver’s seat.
If you have to be outside, unprotected, in the sun, be sure to wear long, loose, light-colored clothing. Standing outside in shorts alone may seem like a good way to cool off, but light, loose, and long clothing will actually keep you cooler. It essentially provides your own personal bit of shade for your easily overcooked skin.
Use ice. If you have a freezer full of ice, use it. Drinking icy beverages chills you from the inside out by keeping your core body temperature in check. I mean, that’s why ice cold lemonade was invented, right? Follow that up with a cold shower, and you’ll feel reinvigorated in no time. The key to keeping comfortable in the heat is to cool yourself both inside and outside.
Self-regulate. It’s also important to let your body do its thing. Your body has internal regulators that allow you to acclimatize to your surrounding environment—be it frigid, average, or blistering. Spending your days holed up in air-conditioned comfort only reduces your heat tolerance. Essentially, you’ll just feel hotter when you leave your den of coolness and venture out into the world! Make the transition easier for yourself by trying out the above natural, sustainable cooling methods while you allow your body adjust in its own time.
If you care about your environmental footprint, air conditioning is best used more as a last resort in a true heat wave than as a summertime staple. Seriously, try opening a window or using a fan before you opt for artificially cooled air. Think about the ways your grandmother or great-grandmother would have kept cool back in the day, and make small changes to bring sustainable, old-school cool back to summer.
