Keeping cool without AC: Our readers share their tips
NPR readers shared various practical and low-tech methods for staying cool during extreme summer heat without relying on air conditioning. Tips range from using cold water on pulse points to mimicking animal behaviors like bathing in cool water.
Why it matters
As global temperatures rise, finding sustainable and accessible ways to manage heat stress is becoming a critical public health concern.
In a summer of extreme heat, we asked our NPR readers to share the ways they keep cool without relying on air conditioning. The responses were practical, personal and inventive — shaped by childhoods without AC, long workdays outdoors and family traditions passed down through generations. From rural Minnesota porches to Syrian balconies, here are some of the strategies they swear by.
Global Health How to keep cool in this year's extreme summer heat even without air conditioning Cooling with Water Bridgit Jordan of Minneapolis says she goes swimming in the afternoon and stays in her wet swimsuit for the rest of the evening. "Combined with a fan, this keeps me cool," she writes.
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