8 Ways to Stay Cool this Summer

Since I was a tiny tot, I remember that the summer was the perfect time of the year for my mother to go shopping. She easily justified walking around in the mall with her insistence that she was receiving "free A/C." Growing up, I never understood what she was talking about. I thought it was another strange immigrant saying. How much does air conditioning really cost anyway?

As it turns out, the air conditioning unit has a bigger impact on your budget than you might have expected. Most households in our country rely on 3 major sources of energy: natural gas, fuel oil, and electricity. 
However, the US households are fast outpacing commercial and industry sectors in electricity consumption. According to the Department of Energy, the total electricity consumed by US households in 2001 totaled 1,140 billion kWh. The most significant end uses were central air-conditioning and refrigerators, each of which accounted for about 14 percent of the U.S. total.

It's expensive to power all those air conditioners. Just ask the US Military; they are paying $20.2 billion to power all the air conditioners used by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan each year.
At least, this what Steven Anderson, a retired brigadier general who served as Gen. David Patreaus' chief logistician in Iraq, estimates. According to Anderson:

To power an air conditioner at a remote outpost in land-locked Afghanistan, a gallon of fuel has to be shipped into Karachi, Pakistan, then driven 800 miles over 18 days to Afghanistan on roads that are sometimes little more than "improved goat trails... you've got risks that are associated with moving the fuel almost every mile of the way. -NPR

 While air conditioning our homes here in the US might not be as expensive as it is in the Middle East, it's still a big drain on our summer budget. Powerscorecard.org sums it up well,

Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants.

  So how do we beat the heat? 

1. Free A/C-  If you must venture out during the warmest hours of the day 10a-4p, try going to a place where you can get relief from the heat. Schools, libraries, theaters, malls, and other community facilities are perfect opportunities to take advantage of "free A/C." Although the public pool might not have an A/C, it's still free to take a dip.
2. Stay Low- If you recall those days long ago in middle school science, you might remember that heat rises. Making use of this simple fact, hang out in the lower, cooler levels of your house that are out of the sun. 
3. Electric Fans- Fans don't cool air, they just move air around. Yet, this is still helpful for evaporating sweat off of your body which will cool you down.
   
4. Draw your curtains during the day - Allowing sunlight to heat the air in your home for the 8 hours you at work might be good for your plants, but not for you. Cover windows that receive morning or afternoon sun with drapes, shades, awnings or louvers. Outdoor awnings or louvers can reduce the heat that enters a home by up to 80%. Consider replacing windows with special glass that has a thin sheet of aluminum embedded inside to reflect solar heat.     
5. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing- 100% cotton clothes will keep you cool. Light colors also reflect heat and sunlight to help you maintain a normal body temperature.  
6. Cut your hair- consider a shorter "do" for the summer, or try to keep hair off of the back of your neck whenever possible. 
7. Hydrate- Make use of an aluminum water bottle for $5-7, and sip on water throughout the day. Sucking on ice cubes and freeze pops also help cool you off. Make sure you control your intake of alcohol, tea, and coffee which are diuretics and can dehydrate your body.
8. Take Cool Breaths- Pranayama is the practic of yogic breathing and Sheetali breath is also known as "cooling breath." Not only will it regulate your body temperature, but regular practice also reduces excess bile, corrects disorders of spleen, and works on fever. Beginners sit in a cross-legged position and begin inhaling for 4 seconds while rolling the tongue into an "O." Exhale for 6 seconds through both nostrils. You can increase the inhalation and exhalation ratio to 4:8, 5:10, or 6:12 seconds.