Cooling Down the Eco-Friendly Way

Winter is (finally) almost over! As we march out of winter and into the warmer spring and summer months, one of the biggest things on people's minds is how to stay cool. However, as detailed in this article, simply running an air conditioner all season long has a significant deleterious effect on the environment. How, then, can you stay cool without contributing to global climate change? Here are some tips to get you through the warm season in an environmentally-conscious way:

•  Use fans responsibly -- Since fans don't cool air they only move it, make sure that you turn your fans off when you leave the room. Doing this can significantly cut back on the power that you use to stay cool.
• Blinds and windows can help -- Make sure that you leave these closed during the day and open them up at night when the air is cooler outside. Doing this can help filter out the heat from your home on hot days and will also cool your house down at night.
• Weather Stripping -- Use weather stripping to seal air leaks around older windows and doors to prevent hot air from finding a way into your home.
• Get Outside -- Go visit your local pool, river, or lake, and take a swim. If you live in a forested area, a dense tree cover can also filter out a lot of heat. Doing these things will cool you down naturally, and can give your air conditioner a break.

For more tips on how to keep yourself and your home cool, check out articles like this one. With a little preparation, and by following tips like these, you can make it through the spring and summer without polluting the environment.