Speaking of irony, it's very rare that one can spend a weekend in Phoenix, Arizona and hiking in the Grand Canyon and come back to New York City and it actually be as hot or even hotter. All I can say is that I am glad that I do not have to wear a suit in this weather. Although, for all of you who are stuck wearing a wool suit, I hope Rob at least invites you to his community pool to cool off.

Perhaps the real inconvenient truth is not that global warming exists and is a serious threat, but that we know about and continue to ignore our personal roles in forming the solution. Personally, I'm just as big an energy hog as Rob. I'm sure I'm not the only one who considers my attempt to save energy to consist of turning off 1 of the 3 computers in my house during the day which otherwise run 24/7. So I applaud Rob's attempt for some new creative energy saving ideas.

So here are my ideas:

1. Walk to work for a change or take public trans.
   
   
2. Turn off the AC, or at least have it on a higher temp when you are sleeping or out of the house
   
   
3. When its sunny out, turn off the lights and open the windows for natural light.
   
   
4. Turn off computers or other electronics when not using them or that waste energy while in "standby" mode
   
   
5. Go to all those cool events and museums and summer concerts that you keep saying you want to go to rather than staying in and watching tv and surfing the internet

Enjoy,

Andy

Part of the problem is that most American's dont purchase and use Green appliances. They also don't take advantage of settings on electronics (like the Energy Star feature on computers) that can switch off a computers monitor, hard drive, or cpu when not in use).

Studies have also shown that many small things (like camera chargers and other small electronic devices actually can account to almost half of energy consumption in a house hold - even when not in use!) Just some tips to keep those bills low, the Earth greener, and should you live in Texas, Cali, or many of the other states that have dereged their power systems - go w/ the clean energy source! (Green Mountain Energy here in Texas).

Last night I walked home in the 97 degree heat dreaming of my ice cold air-conditioned apartment. Unfortunately when I arrived at my apt the power had gone out -- no elevator, no running water, no a/c. what was a girl to do? After a momentary panic, my roomate and I decided to walk around, and as soon as we felt overheated we just stopped in a local pizza place or bar for some cold water and a little a/c. After dinner we headed to a movie -- we knew that would be a cool place to relax. Also, starbucks or any coffee shop provides a great place to read and beat the heat. Maybe this is cheating a little because I went to all a/c places, but it's one way to let your own a/c take a break for a little while.

My apartment is AC free. While it can be a little overwhelming, I find that keeping busy all day OUT of the house makes me simply want to crash when I get home. Go to the air conditioned gym and wear yourself out. That way your time at home in the heat can be minimal and restful.

Well I can finally say that I know how some people feel when they are about to DIE from heat stroke... I had this feeling on Monday evening when I got home from work. Just to let you know, I live in a second floor apartment with NO AC and NO fan!! It was so hot and humid in there that I did not know what to do with myself. I just lay on my hot bed which is infront of my window and decided that I would not move... i figured that minimal movement would mean minimal heat! I took off all my lights and the tv too and even unplugged my cell from its charger- Ok- go figure!! Did this work?? NO!! But energy consumption at my house was at its lowest that day- Al Gore would be so proud!!

A quick update on my personal battle agaist being an energy hog, I'm winning. In the past several days I've created a rule where I have to choose between my AC and my TV. If the AC is on the rest of the electricity in he house is shut off. I also switched to energy saving light bulbs. I'm starting to realize that our reactions to the heat are largely based on personal preferences that have been conditioned in us from our culture. One of my European friends recently barked at my overly cool apartment and asked me to turn off the air. He's also the type that drinks his soda without ice, something I consider amazingly un-American. Great Ideas!

Okay, maybe it's just me but here's the thing. I like the heat. The hotter the better. I am from South America - Guyana, specifically. While I grew up in the U.S. of A., I have learned to embrace the heat and shut off the A/C until I feel like I am going to keel over and die. My A/C comes on only if I am not doing anything else, i.e. being online, chatting on my phone, watching tv, or listening to music. If any of those things are on, the A/C gets swapped off. Another thing that I like to do is to let it run steadily for 2-4 hours while I am at home getting ready to go out, close the shades and the entire apt. stays cool for practically the entire day. It sure beats having it on energy saver (even though it is Energy Star certified). I unplug all of my devices until they need to be charged and yes, that includes the microwave. Most of the time, I go to a friends pool, the library, the shade of an old Oak at the park, or local stores to cool off while I am out. You wouldn't believe the amount of money I save each month off of my energy bill. Now if I could only get my three year old to understand the concept... :-)