How do you keep cool?

This is my first official post.  First off, let me say that my main source of news is from The Huffington Post.  It is a great site that offers not only nation and world news but also news on the Green movement.  For me, this is paramount.  This post will focus on an article from The Huffington Post -- or, as I refer to it in my own mind, The Huff.

For the full article, go here.

In the article Summers Are Going To Get Hotter, Stanford Scientists Say, Joanna Zelman discusses the scientific study conducted by Stanford University that has explored the extreme temperature shifts in the middle latitude regions; this includes the United States.  Last summer, reportedly, tied with 2005 as the hottest year on record with a global temperature 1.12 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.  Although 1.12 degrees may not seem like a lot -- from a day to day stand point, it really isn't -- it is the changes in long-term weather trends that are considered to be scientific evidence of man-made global warming.

"Most atmospheric scientists attribute the change to gases released into the air by industrial processes and gasoline-burning engines"  (The Associated Press).  This is man-made global warming.  What all of this basically comes down to is that it's going to get really hot.

Where I live, in the San Francisco Bay Area, it has actually been pretty cold the last two weeks.  Over the last three or so days, it has started to warm up.  This week, temperatures are in the eighties, inland.  In the summer, we usually see temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Personally, I hate the heat.  I can't stand being hot or sweating.  I have, however, gotten used to the Summer heat the same way I've gotten used to the Winter cold.  You see, I live in a house that was built in the 1970's.  The AC/Heating is original to the house and since it is an older house, it is poorly insulated.  So, we don't even bother trying to use the AC because it wouldn't make a bit of difference except to our energy bill.  From this, I've learned how to successfully keep my cool even in the face of ridiculously high temperatures.

Keeping cool is extremely important because high temperatures can be very dangerous.  The article mentions that in 2003, heat waves in Europe killed an estimated 35,000 people.  Agriculture is also threatened by the heat.  If it is not cold enough in the Winter months, crop eating insects don't all die off and then thrive on the crops in the Spring.  The heat can also interrupt the life cycles of the plants, damage them, and even prevent their growth entirely.

As individuals, I think there is an easy two-fold plan of attack.  Number one, you need to stay cool.  Drink a lot of water.  Get a reusable water bottle to refrain from using plastic which creates oodles of carbon emissions when produced; plus, the metal ones like I have keep your water nice and cool and can also act like a cold compress.  If you have long hair, keep it up.  Dress responsibly for the weather.  Wear sunscreen.  Swim whenever you can.  Take cold showers when you shower.  PG&E, also, gives rebates for certain types of green AC units.  At my house, certain rooms have window units which work superbly -- sometimes even making the room cold at its lowest setting.  Check the PG&E site for a list of Eco-rebates you can utilize in your own house.

Number two, we all need to work on the thing that is causing man-made global warming: carbon emissions from gasoline-burning engines and industrial processing.  So, whenever you can, walk or bike or skateboard, or whatever instead of driving.  If you do have to drive, try and carpool or take public transportation.  Also, make your voice heard.  Climate change is no joke.  You know all those tornadoes that have been touching down all over the country?  Well, that's what happens with climate change; the strange becomes normal.  Find our what you can do in your community to combat climate change and make the changes in your own home.

I encourage everyone to follow the link to the article and read the whole thing.  Research and educate yourself on what's going on on our planet; what we're doing to our planet and how we can make things better.

In closing, I'd like to say that I was once of the mindset that global warming is fake.  After all, there are apparently more polar bears now than there were 50 years ago.  The global climate, however, is rising.  You can have all of the pithy little t-shirts you want saying that it's a fraud but the truth is is that it's getting warmer and warmer.  It is those long term trends that point towards global warming, not the population of polar bears.  Another thing, just because a population is "abundant" does not mean than it's environment is not in danger.  Look at us; there are over 6 billion people on the the planet and our environment is falling apart.  Looks can be deceiving.