Feeling hot? Try these eco-friendly tips for cooling down.

The primary driver of air conditioning use is thermal discomfort. When ambient temperatures—the air that you’re occupying—exceed your threshold, you’ll feel uncomfortably warm. That causes people to turn on the air conditioning unit and keep it on until the temperature drops below that threshold.

Moving indoor air with electric fans increases the temperature threshold at which people feel uncomfortably hot by about three to four degrees Celsius. 

You can cool a room without air conditioning by using window coverings to reduce heat gain, painting the walls a lighter colour to reflect heat away, or placing vegetation around the home to cool the environment through evapotranspiration.

Other ways include drinking cold water, applying ice towels, or donning wet clothing. Immersing the feet in cold water and self-dowsing with a spray bottle or sponge can also improve thermal comfort.