You could be forgiven for thinking humans are helpless against extreme heat. All over the world, record high temperatures are raising concerns about heat stress, which has claimed more than 100 lives in India this year and killed over 60,000 people in Europe last summer. One obvious solution — adding more air conditioning — is catching on fast: Through 2050, an estimated 10 new AC units will be sold every second. That influx, though, threatens to exacerbate the climate crisis that necessitated it.
In some places and at particularly high temperatures, air conditioning may be the safest and most effective option for staying cool — but it isn’t the only one. Here are tips for coping with hotter days without increasing your carbon emissions.