Summer is just around the corner and hot humid days will be here before you know it. Dealing with the summer heat 
can be very uncomfortable so ways to beat the heat and stay cool is on everyone’s mind. The heat can drain you of your energy and most people can’t wait to get home, relax and cool down. So how do you stay cool this summer the green way? There are actually several things that you can do to keep cool and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.
Tips for Staying Cool the Green Way:
When you do run the air conditioner turn it up a few degrees. The higher you keep the thermostat the less energy you’ll use. You’ll also discover that it won’t feel so hot outside if you don’t keep it too cold in your home.
Keep the windows covered during the hottest part of the day to prevent the heat from the sun from raising the temperature in your home.
The quickest way to cool down after being out in the heat is to take a cool shower.
Limit cooking in the oven on hot days. This tends to really heat up the home quickly. In fact, grill out often to help keep the home cooler and save on energy.
Go tropical
Take the lead of those who spend most of their lives in tropical climates: loose, lightweight cotton and linen clothing rules.
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.
Don’t eat: Graze
Ever notice how you feel hot after a big meal? It’s not just because the food was served warm.
Big, protein-laden meals force your body to stoke its metabolic fires. The solution is to break up your eating into smaller, more frequent meals. You’ll feel cooler — and it’s better for you, anyway.
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. Eat smaller, lighter meals and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will actually help you to feel cooler.
Stay cool under the covers
A lot of people find it difficult to sleep in hot weather.
Want to cool the bed down? Fill a standard hot water bottle with ice water. Use it to cool your ankles and the back of your knees — it works. You can also try bagging your sheets and tossing them in the freezer for an hour or two before bed.
Cooling your head cools your entire body. Opt for a cool and absorbent pillow of organic cotton it at all possible. Put aside down and latex pillows until the weather cools down this autumn.
Our family is a big fan of the bedroom ceiling fan. Amazing what that little fan can do! Ceiling fans are a great investment; they can seem expensive for initial cost and installation, but will save you a good amount when used instead of or even in conjunction with your existing air conditioning unit.
Jump on the fan-wagon
You’ve probably heard it before, but using ceiling or portable fans are one of the cheapest, most practical ways to cool a home on less energy. They can make rooms feel up to seven degrees cooler, and cost $10 or less to run each month, even if you leave them on for 12 hours a day. Use fans and open windows instead of running the air conditioner whenever possible. The fresh air blowing in will be nice change of pace.
Insulate before it’s too late
If your home isn’t insulated properly, you could be spending a lot more money cooling it than you should. Air conditioners have to work extra hard when there isn’t proper insulation around ducts, or when cool air escapes through cracks in the seals of doors and windows. If you don’t know where to start, an energy audit with a professional can help to determine where your home is leaking as well as identify other ways you can save energy.
Just turn it off
Sometimes it’s not just about keeping the hea
t outside, but eliminating the heat generated inside. All appliances, lighting and electronic devices generate heat while running, so be sure to turn them off when you don’t need them. Remember the Easy-Bake Oven? That used an incandescent light bulb to bake those tiny treats. Try switching your incandescent to compact fluorescents, which use 1/5 the energy and heat (and are becoming the law here in Italy)
Dress your windows for success
Become familiar with which sides of the house the sun hits at certain times of the day. Before you go to sleep at night, close the blinds or curtains of the windows that the sun will hit in the morning. Use light-colored window treatments that will reflect light and heat away from your house. Energy-efficient double-glazed windows can help in some cases, but you can also apply heat-reflecting film to the interior surface of windows which can reflect up to 70% of solar heat.
Go green with more green
Don’t forget the area surrounding your house! Trees and other plants are nature’s own way of keeping us cool. Planting shade-providing plants around windows and air-conditioning units (without blocking airflow) can reduce utility bills.
Escape the heat by escaping the house
Instead of sitting around in the hot box all day, go out for a picnic in a shady area or go for a beach trip where you can cool off in the ocean. Visit places that are already air-conditioned, like the mall or a local café.
These places will have their air conditioning on regardless, and the money you save from not using your own will pay for a few extra caffe scecherate
Keep the cold air inside
Use caulk, spray foam, and/or weather stripping to stop the air you’re paying to cool from seeping out. Learn how to find leaks.
Feeling slightly more ambitious? You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck if you add insulation to your home. Start with your attic.
Using these tips can help you stay cool the green way so you can enjoy the summer and help the environment at the same time. It may not seem like much but every step that you take to reduce your carbon footprint is a step in the right direction. Just imagine how much energy would be saved if everyone only used their air conditioner half the amount of time they used it last summer.
With thanks to Green Yahoo, Green Living Online, Mother Nature Network, and Ezine
