Staying cool doesn't have to come with an increased carbon footprint. Here are some ways to stay cool this summer without an air conditioning window unit.
Staying cool doesn't have to come at a cost.
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| "Man, it's a hot one." Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty singer and possible weather man. Photo credit: iStock. |
By Pat King, Metro
The intense sticky heat of summer generally puts most of us in a
ethical catch twenty-two scenario. Do we accept our fate of being sweaty
shells of our normal selves for the next three to four months, or do we
have to keep our air conditioners at a constant hum all summer long.
While making your apartment as a cool as a meat locker can be one of
life’s greatest joys, your air conditioning window unit can be damaging
to the environment if it is not working correctly. Here are some ways that you can cool off your sweltering apartment without killing the planet this summer.
Fun alternatives to your air conditioning window unit
Turn your apartment into a jungle
By cramming as many house plants into your apartment, they will begin
to recycle that dead air that is sucking the life out of you and will
even bring the overall temperature down in the process. Areca Palm Trees
are a great choice for this effect and will add a tropical flavor to
your home. Another great option is keeping an Aloe Vera Plant as they
will remove toxins from the air while cooling things down. Plus, once
you wind up getting that inevitable sunburn, you can use it’s leaves to
cool down swelling and irritation.
The trusty "bowl of ice in front of a fan" hack
Now this is a life hack that seems to good to be true. Instead of
relying on an air conditioning window unit that could potentially
release greenhouse gas into the world outside, you could mimic the
cooling effects of this machine by placing a bowl of ice in front of a
regular house fan. The great thing is that once the ice melts over time,
you can just simply put the bowl back into your freezer or fill it up
with more ice!
Set your ceiling fan to counter-clockwise
Most people neglect to change the direction that their ceiling fans
spin from winter into warmer weather. This may not seem like something
you would normally have to pay attention to, but it can make a huge
difference. By switching your ceiling fan to spin from clockwise to
counter clockwise, it will cause the air to flow straight down rather
than spreading the air to fill the space of the room.
Using blinds or blackout curtains
Keeping cool without an air conditioning window unit can be even
harder if your apartment faces the street and has little shade from the
sun. So if you decide not to go with an air conditioning window unit,
keep in mind that “shade” is the name of the game. By installing blinds
or blackout curtains for your windows, you can cut the temperature down
dramatically as the summer starts to sizzle.
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