My Green Summer − 1 June, 2007

I consider myself to be a fairly environmentally conscious person. I recycle paper and plastics, buy local, secondhand, and organic when possible, and know the correct answer to "Paper or plastic?" (Neither.) But in all my green-ness, this has been my first summer without air conditioning. And man, is it hot.

I'd be proud but lying if I told you this was a purely ecological choice of mine, this lack of A/C in one of the most humid cities I've ever lived in. Really, it came down to money. We moved into an apartment -- well, really, the lower portion of a house -- without A/C. And while everyone we've talked with has advised us to go to Walgreens and pick up an air conditioning unit ("It's only like 100 bucks!" they exclaim. Yeah, "only" is your world, not mine.), we have stripped down to our knuckles and are in the throes of dealing with the heat.

You haven't known hot until you've gone without. Sure, I've been hot before, but there was fairly instant relief involved ("Man, is it hot out here or what? Let's go inside."). This summer I have spent days in front of the fan, the sweat dripping off me faster than the fan can vaporize it. I have hosed down my panting dogs in the front yard and then turned the water on myself. I have had illicit thoughts of pushing open the doors of my local pharmacy and throwing all my money down on the best damn air conditioning unit they stock. I have stuck my face in the freezer, eaten more than a dozen ice cubes in less than ten minutes, and stood in front of the window at night wearing only my undies. I have done a lot for relief, but I have mostly just stayed hot.

Technically I could afford the 100 bucks. It wouldn't be easy, but we could find a way. Maybe sell off some old CDs or some new photos. The hotness would go away and everything would get a little more comfortable. Believe me, I've thought about it. But there's this ... thing. This realness to it all. Like being hot in hot weather is ... well ... natural.

Besides, nobody said it was easy being green.