By Catherine Moran
In light of the heat waves that made their way across the country this past weekend, a friend suggested that I investigate some ways to keep cool while being green. While it’s tempting to rely on air conditioning if you live in an apartment in New York City—as I do—air conditioners are, on the whole, bad. They release pollutants into the air, hurting the environment. But they also let these same pollutants into your living space if the air conditioner isn’t properly maintained.
If you need to have an air conditioner, go for one with an Energy Star label. Try to only use it when you are in the room where it is located, and close the door to the room while the AC is in use. Always pick a lower setting. Oh, and unplug the thing when it’s not in use, okay?
But there are more environmentally-friendly ways to make the heat a bit more bearable.
Got a Kate-
