Sparked by a blog by John Cronin, Hudson Riverkeeper (1983-2000), Founding Director/CEO of Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, and now Senior Fellow for Environmental Affairs at pace Academy.
As John Cronin wrote: “According to Stan Cox, author of the 2010 book “Losing Our Cool,” air conditioning in the US has a global-warming impact equivalent to every US household driving an extra 10,000 miles/year.”
Since global warming impacts every watershed on the planet, NWNL wants to brainstorm about what we each can do to reduce further problems.
Please send us ways you avoid using a/c so we can all
stay cool without it.
The obvious for our NWNL Team is to “hang out” in water – a stream, a pool, a cool shower, the ocean, a kayak, a canoe…. But there’s also:
• Wake up earlier when working conditions are cooler; and then nap midday to make up for it.
• Spruce up a cool garage or basement for some summer movies – or a game of Charades.
• Install and use overhead fans in lieu of A/C if your rooms have high ceilings
• Explore the fun of hand-held fans! Go to China Town for strongly made, efficient fans; and share with children how to fold a rectangle of paper into a fan.
• Ask doormen / shopkeepers to keep doors closed if the A/C is on.
• Wear clothes that are made of cotton, linen or breathable, wicking fabrics on hot days.
• Have friends over for an ice-cream social!
• Ride bikes and scooters instead of hot, steamy subways.
• Slip into “Porchin”: a rural tradition of screened-in card games, loose clothing and flowing iced tea.
• Try swimming instead of running for your regular exercise.
• Take cool – rather than hot – showers. Go to bed with wet hair to be cooler as you go to sleep.
