How to Stay Cool as the World Burns

Bishr Tabbaa

Follow

Published in

DataSeries

7 min readJul 4, 2024

--

It’s going to be a hot summer no matter where you live whether it is Texas, California, Florida, New York, England, France, Germany, Spain, Syria, Jordan, India, or China. But do not take my word for it. Data published by NASA, UN, EU, Climate Central, and others confirms it. 2023 was the hottest in 150 years of record keeping such that the planet’s average temperature was 1.3 Celsius higher than the average temperature from 1850 to 1900. Furthermore, the last 10 years were the warmest consecutive 10 years since record keeping began in the late 19th century. Planet Earth is getting vexingly close to the 1.5 Celsius difference to the pre-Industrial Revolution era that scientists have identified as a point of no return due to the feedback loops that set in and that override the current terrestrial equilibrium. Pandora has leaped out of the proverbial climate box, however we must all do our part to make a difference and survive because frankly neither governments nor corporations are going to help us. The responsibility for adapting to the climate crisis must be taken by individuals, families, and local communities.

I currently reside in Austin and previously lived in Houston for decades. Both Texas cities have faced severe summer heat waves in the last decade, so I wanted to share my direct experience and the 12 principles and practices that our family follows to stay responsibly cool throughout the summer. Our summer electricity bill is just a few hundred dollars per month which is substantially lower than most homes in Texas so this article can keep you cool, save you money, and help the planet.

*[Source: Annual global temperatures 1850–2017, Dr Ed Hawkins, University of Reading, UK]*

1. Cover Your Windows

Windows can act like greenhouse glass, allowing sunlight in and trapping heat inside. Use shades, blinds, or curtains to block out the sun especially during peak daytime hours. For more efficacy, consider installing reflective and insulated window film or window screens. Various studies show that 10–20% of heat comes through the windows. All of these are simple and low cost things to do that work even when your AC and fans do not. All of the rooms in our Austin home have white blinds, and we also installed blackout curtains with white/gray exterior for the bedrooms for maximum effectiveness.

2. Do Chores at Night

Run the dishwasher at night. Do laundry in the evening. Avoid operating these energy intensive machines especially the oven during the day because they warm your residence and collectively stress the power grid during peak time. Again, this is a simple, low cost thing to do. It’s good for you and good for your community. Our family rarely runs the oven during the summer, and we do chores at night.

3. Use Ceiling Fans

Set the fans to run counterclockwise at a lower speed during the summer. This stirs up a room’s air, blows air down, and produces a pleasant, chilling breeze. I also run the fans in the bedrooms at night so that we are less dependent on the AC units.

4. Change Light Bulbs to LED

Traditional, incandescent light bulbs generate a surprising amount of heat. LEDs, on the other hand, emit very little heat and use less electricity. Making this simple change keeps your home cooler, reduces your energy bills, and is a small win for the planet. My son is fascinated with LED lights so this was a bonus.

*[Source: ElasticComputeFarm @ Pixabay]*

5. Maintain your HVAC System

Annual maintenance on your HVAC system in the spring can prevent a summer surprise; bi-annual maintenance for summer and winter costs just a few hundred dollars, and it is well worth it considering the cost of replacement for a single unit in the thousands of dollars. AC units are complex machines and can be prone to failure under stress which is precisely when we need them. I also recommend upgrading your attic insulation if you can afford it. Better insulation reduces heat transfer from the roof, through the attic, and into the house. Another additional (albet expensive) option is to install radiant barrier within the roof interior. For our Austin home, we have done all of the above because they are critically important: maintain the HVAC, ensured the insulation was up to the latest R38 code, and checked the radiant barrier condition installed by the prior home owner.

6. Install a Solar Attic Fan

Let your attic breathe properly by installing a solar attic fan. These fans actively remove hot attic air, lower cooling costs during the summer, allow the HVAC system to run more efficiently, improve roof shingle longevity, work hardest when you need it most during the summer daytime peak hours, and remove moisture and humidity all day long. Furthermore, they work even when the electric grid fails. I use Attic Breeze which is a North American pioneer. I installed 2 medium-sized units in my Houston home and have 1 large unit installed in our Austin residence.

7. Close Doors of Unused Rooms

Some rooms in the house are not used as frequently as others. Our upstairs bedroom that doubles as a kids game room is not used as often as other so we typically close the door and set the temperature higher for the AC unit that services the upstairs area.

8. Drink More Water

Drinking more water is essential at higher temperatures. You need to stay hydrated because you will naturally sweat more when it is hot and humid.

9. Eat Frozen Treats

Summer is a great excuse to let yourself and your kids eat popsicles. Not only do they taste good, but can help you cool you down as well! This also means adding some extra ice cubes to my wine and whiskey. Guilty as charged your honor.

10. Use Cotton Bedsheets

Use lighter fabrics such as cotton and linen since they breathe easier than thicker ones.

11. Add Weather Stripping

Weather stripping around doors and windows is a low-cost sensible way to reduce leaks of hot air going inside and cold air going outside. It can be just a few hundred dollars and hours of work for you or the handyman. I did it in our Houston home, and plan to do it in Austin.

12. Plant a Tree

Trees and foliage act as natural barriers to sunlight and improve the landscape. Some opt for fast-growing trees such as a Sycamore, Maple, or Poplar while others choose deciduous trees since they lose their leaves in the winter meaning your home has shade in the summer and sunshine in the winter. If you already have a tree, then trim and protect it so that it continues to stay healthy. In Houston, I planted a new Magnolia tree outside my office. In Austin, we chose to keep our trees, trim them to protect the roof, and also nurture them with fertilizer so that they continue to grow and stay strong.

I sincerely hope you learned something from this article that you can immediately apply to cool your residence as climate change unfolds across Earth. We all need to do our part and these principles and practices can you stay cool, save money, and help our planet. Check the references below for more information and details.

Enjoy the article? Please share your comments. Follow me on Medium and Twitter for more updates.