Any true environmentalist would never use an air conditioner. The, “greenest” way to stay cool is through meditation—humming “ommmm” until the discomfort of sweaty lethargy disappears. But lets be honest, most of us can barely focus on the morning news—let alone altering our internal thermostat. So how can “most of us” stay cool this summer without making the planet even hotter?

My first suggestion is to keep the shades down. This will help any room stay a few degrees cooler. Then consider a fan (an Energy Star one, of course) and create cross ventilation by leaving doors and windows open. If you still can’t take the heat, then consider “gettin’ out the kitchen” and loitering in some already cool places. Museums, libraries, movie theaters are all public spaces that crank the AC all summer long. Or you can always go to your favorite café. Hang out; grab an iced latte and let “them” pay for the air conditioning.

If staying at home or in your office is essential, then invest in an Energy Star air conditioner. Like most Energy Star products, Energy Star air conditioners use less energy—meaning less fossil fuels and lower utility bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if just half of all American homes were cooled with Energy Star qualified products, the change would prevent nearly 70 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to the emissions of nearly six million cars. As said above, it’s always better not to AC, but if you can’t take the heat any longer definitely go for an Energy Star model.

Posted on June 18th, 2007 by Olivia Zaleski