Going green is a top priority for many, and if we could all do a little bit more to help our planet we could all enjoy it for longer!
There are a multitude of things that we can do or not do in order to go green and lots of simple changes can be made at home. Everyone’s doing it from kids to the elderly as the world promotes the message that it is ‘cool to be green!’
During the hot summers we are all guilty of putting the air conditioning on to cool down but we can eliminate the use of air conditioning with a little care and consideration – and here are a few ideas how we can all make a difference not only to our planet but also to our electricity bills!
Use Fans Sensibly!
Just fixing a fan to the ceiling or popping one in a corner of the room is no use if it is not strategically placed or properly used.
Fact: Fans cool people, and not rooms
This means that contrary to what many believe, the room will not cool down for you if you leave the fan running all day, so turn it off when you are not using it! Have the fan as close to you as possible thus meaning you can have it on a lower setting and have a water spray to hand to continually cool yourself down while sitting in the breeze from the fan.
Make sure that a ceiling fan is actually cooling the room down as some choose to get winter ceiling fans fitted that warm a room up by blowing the wind in the opposite way to create an updraft. More than a little pointless if you are trying to cool down in the summer but a great way to save energy in the winter!
Cook Less without Eating Less!
Cooking drains energy and also makes a house hot so if you are suffering from a hot summer and want to cool down the house without using the air conditioning then avoid cooking!
Eat salads and raw foods and enjoy a cold drink complete with ice as this will cool down your body at the same time. If you want to warm something through then the microwave is great for a quick hit of heat compared to running an oven for hours. Get the kids involved as without the danger of the cooker; they can help prepare meals more.
Ice cold homemade lemonade anyone?
Take a cold shower!
Cooling down can be done in a range of ways from jumping in the sea if you are lucky enough for it to be an option through to taking a dip in a cool bath or a cold shower. You don’t have to sit for hours shivering in the air conditioning in order to ward off the heat so turn it off and get wet instead!
- Have a water fight
- Go swimming
- Jump in the paddling pool
- Spritz yourself
According to the Daily Green article cooling down in the summer and saving the planet at the same time can be done by anyone and getting wet while hot is one of the top eight ways to lose body heat.
Get Shady!
Making use of nature to save the planet is a nice irony that can be used more often than many of us realize. Plant a few trees in the garden so that when the sun is at its hottest the house is in shade. Use climbing plants on trellises that stand away from the walls to create extra shade and make sure you use trees and plants that have big leaves.
