Summer is here and along with it the weather. We all know that air conditioning is bad for the environment, in fact it accounts for nearly 8% of all energy use in the entire United States!

Here is an interesting infographic we made to show you just how much A/C can cost.

This infographic shows some of the negatives of widespread a/c use

This infographic shows some of the negatives of widespread a/c use

Some Ways to Stay Green and Cool

Sure it doesn’t relate to recycling completely but we wanted to give everyone a few tips to stay cool without forgetting about the environment.

1. Change/Cover Your Windows

Covering your windows or putting reflective material on them can reduce your energy bill and keep your house cool. Good colors are whites and lighter colors and you can cover your windows when you’re not home with quilts, shades, etc. They do a great job at keeping the heat out.

An example of reflective heat windows

An example of reflective heat windows

2. Easy Changes to Your House

With a little work, you can change your house to a natural and sustainable a/c unit. All it takes is a little research, a little house work, and a little handiwork.

  • Open up the lower windows on one side of the house and the upper windows on the other side, this ventilates the house efficiently.
  • Insulate your water heater and turn off your appliances that generate heat
  • Place fans around your house including attic fans and ceiling fans
  • Unplug electronics that may only generate a small amount of heat

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3. Go Green with Real Green

Did you know that covering your house in living greenery will keep it cool? It makes sense! In fact, treehugger.com released a great article about using vines to keep a house cool. You can see it here. Green roofs are a great new trend that are not only sustainable but aesthetically pleasing as well.

This building is using green vines to decrease its carbon footprint, its not hard and it looks great!

This building is using green vines to decrease its carbon footprint, its not hard and it looks great!

Using vines on the walls of your house is a method that goes way back and was employed in the olden days. It is sustainable and you can even have a garden