A few of my friends are forgoing air conditioning this summer just because they can. Apparently it’s to prove a point. A point which I don’t entirely understand. Something about proving they can go without air conditioning and get used to it and be better people for it. Or something.
Um, do you want a medal for your amazing sacrifice?
Look, I get the point of reducing energy consumption because it obviously affects your personal finances. If you can shave some dollars off your electric bill, fantastic. But isn’t there a more reasonable way to do this? Do you have to sit around in 100 degree heat with fans recirculating the stuffy, impossibly hot air in order to save a few bucks?
I vote no.
Make reasonable changes. Set your thermostat at 85 when you’re out and 78-80 when you’re home (don’t ever leave it turned off entirely because your A/C will have to work extra hard to cool down your home once you turn it on, ultimately using more energy than if you’d just bumped up the temperature a few degrees). Keep your blinds/curtains shut during the day when you’re out. Use the toaster oven or microwave instead of the oven for cooking small items. Do laundry during the evenings when it’s cooler outside. Keep the lights turned low. Reduce the water temperature in the shower. Hang out in the basement (if you have one). Use fans at night. Eat popsicles. Ok, that last one was just because I really like popsicles.
See? Tiny little changes can save you money too (and are better for the planet as a bonus) and you don’t have to sit around, stewing in your own sweat while dreaming about ice cold swimming pools.
Take this from the girl who endured rolling blackouts in California during an energy crisis a few years ago.
I never said I’m a better person because I’m going without AC*. It is, for me at least, an experiment as much as anything. My parents both grew up without air conditioners, so they had to deal with it on a yearly basis. That’s something I’ve never dealt with. I was fortunate enough, growing up, my parents could afford the luxury.
But really, that’s all it is. A luxury. A luxury that I want to prove to myself that I can do without. And we’re not being stupid about it. Our blinds are shut all the time, and we’re considering blackout curtains in certain rooms. We’ve been changing our cooking habits. We’ve recently become rather fond of frozen grapes as a nice way to cool off. I’ve spent some time determining optimal fan placement to keep a flow of air passing through the house, so that hot, stale air is not recirculated. On cool nights, we turn all the fans inward to pump in as much cool air as possible, then we close the windows in the morning.
I don’t have any problem with anyone using air conditioning. I don’t look down on them. This is a personal challenge between me and my wife that we just happen to be sharing on Tumblr and Twitter. I’m not gloating, I’m not preaching about the no-AC diet, I’m just talking about it. I do, however, resent being called crazy and unreasonable because we happen to not be using an appliance in our house.
(Funnily enough, it seems like you’re talking about it more than I am.)
We take for granted in our society being comfortable all the time. Maybe we should all put up with a little discomfort now and again. I understand some people (among them, the elderly) really do need air conditioning. But most of us do not. Humans evolved in climates like this. We really can put up with 100° weather if you’re smart about it and hydrate enough. It’s not that much of a stretch, and it’s only because we as a society are spoiled that we are even talking about this at all.
* However, if you would like to provide a medal, I’d be happy to accept.
Source: sheasylvia