Lowering the heat without air conditioning

When summer arrives, air conditioners inevitably appear in the windows of homes and apartments. French-born science popularizer Scilabus, now living in Quebec, sees this in her neighbors. But is it possible to cool down without the need for these energy-guzzling devices? It's becoming increasingly difficult, but it's possible, as this video shows.

The idea is first and foremost to avoid producing more heat. Whether it's the use of household appliances in the middle of a heatwave or the consumption of rich foods, including ice creams, which demand more energy from our bodies and therefore produce more heat. Perspiration serves to regulate our body temperature, but it's actually the evaporation of perspiration that makes us cooler. That's why it's harder to cool down in humid heat than in dry heat. Humidity saturating the air partly prevents this phenomenon. Drinking liquids that are not too diuretic helps to replenish the body's fluid reserves. In humid areas, it's better to drink something cold, whereas hot beverages are perfectly suited to dry weather (hence the tea often drunk by desert peoples).

It may seem obvious, but many people forget that the sun should be avoided during these periods. Exposure not only makes you hotter, but also causes premature aging of the skin. Drafting with a fan or blower certainly helps cool you down, but nothing beats contact with water. Water is a better thermal conductor than air, so soaking, spraying or wetting yourself with water that's colder than the ambient temperature will help get rid of the heat.

Running time: 14min46

Image: vargazs from Pixabay