A few days ago we had a series of very hot days, where the record for the hottest day was set and then broken the very next day. Here in the United States we have various parts of the country that are under Heat Domes and other weather conditions have resulted in temperatures in the triple digits.
One of the reasons that my wife and I moved to the country was to avoid increasing heat and humidity that we were experiencing in Florida. However in moving to the country we bought a home that did not have central air or heat. We were lucky enough to adapt to both extremes in a variety of ways and have adopted many of the concepts discussed here.
I have covered the topic of staying warm without central heat before in this blog and decided that I should talk about staying cool without central air this time around. As the temperature rises in the future it's going to affect how we work, play, eat and even the decisions that we make. It's also going to affect the most disenfranchised of the American public. These tips are common sense for the most part but may include some things that you may have not considered. Some of these ideas will work better when the humidity is low but they should all help to a certain extent.
The first of course is too be sure to drink plenty of water. Water by itself is not going to cool you down, but as your body sweats, you have to replace those fluids. Fruity drinks like coconut water, some juices and yogurt based beverages in addition to water will replace the electrolytes lost in sweat and help keep you hydrated.
Water however needs to be addressed because there are a couple of possible future problems with obtaining water.
I remember a time when I was a child and you were able to drink water out of a tap with no issues. That's not always possible today due to corroding water lines, racist or downright incompetent governments, and micro plastics. There have been increasing water conflicts as well.
Your access to water in the future may be restricted or the cost of water will go up. Well it's generally seen as a human right, it's also a commodity.
Water catchment systems come in a variety of forms but are generally harder to do if you're living in an apartment or other housing arrangement. Plus the water is not always safe to drink and may require further treatment like being boiled or treated with chemicals.
This is something that I am still learning about and highly recommend you research this first in a variety of ways to determine what system may work best for you and that it be implemented as soon as possible.
Dehumidifiers will not so much cool the air as make the air drier, and therefore easier for you sweat and feel cooler. I do NOT recommend drinking this water, but it should be safe for plants much like the water from catchment systems.
Which brings us to the second way to keep cool, have an indoor garden. An indoor garden actually serves two purposes. Not only will it generally improve the air quality of your home, but thanks to transpiration it will help keep your home cooler.
There is also a psychological boost to having a garden or indoor plants. Peppermint for example has been found to be calming (and extreme heat will increase stress) as well as tricking the body into thinking it is cooling off.
Frankly if you can start planting trees and encourage your local community to do so well, because lowering the overall temperature in your particular neighborhood is going to help you directly. Shade trees will not lower the air temperature around you, but they do prevent or slow passive solar heating and reflection of that heat.
Spraying water onto thin curtains will allow for any breeze to feel a bit cooler. DO NOT freeze things like socks or other clothing however, because as your body warms you just end up wearing soggy cloths which can lead to mold growth and other issues. Wearing airy and light colored clothing is perfectly acceptable.
Swamp Coolers are an ancient idea that works best in drier environments, simply because they add to the overall humidity of the air and are sometimes used in conjunction with dehumidifiers and with water catchment systems. Generally speaking however they use little power and are simple to make and use.
Box and ceiling fans are designed to keep the air moving and should be set up in such a way to create a cross breeze in your home. If you have a whole house fan, use it when the temperatures are the coolest, normally in the morning and evening hours. Closing drapes and blinds helps prevent solar heating. Closing windows once the outside air temperature starts to build will actually trap cooler air inside your home; opening them only at times when the outside air is cooler than the inside air - times like dawn, dusk and overnight.
You should also learn the signs of heat stroke. Not only in you but in others and contact an ambulance immediately.
So hopefully some of these tips help. Not everything mentioned here is going to work in all climes and at all times but can hopefully keep you cooler during those hot summer days and in an ever increasing hot environment.
Every little step you take today is designed to help the future.
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