How to stay cool in summer without airconditioning?
When I was learning Italian language in Florence, Italy, I did not like the fact that in summer during the day the windows were closed and the thick, dark curtains were also closed. I am used to having natural light around me, especially during warm days.
Of course, to close doors and windows and avoid any sunlight from coming inside the house when the weather is hot has a noble purpose: to keep the house cool without using air conditioning. Summers in Tuscany are very hot and air-conditioning is not the norm in most of Europe. Relatively few homes have it. Here are a few reasons for it:
- They are used to not to have air conditioning and use traditional ways to keep the temperature low such as the one discussed above.
- Electricity is very expensive.
- It is not the norm. Air conditioning is not standard as it is in our homes in the United States. If nobody else has it why should I have it? It is part of their culture. So your guests and visitors would not be offended if they were a little hot and were sweating.
Of course things are changing and some new buildings and homes have airconditioning. I live in the Northeast US and seldom use the AC, but I have friends who use it the whole summer even with what anyone else would think are mild temperatures. We are used to AC, but it is possible to avoid it with the same techniques that the Europeans use. It is one small thing we can do to fight global warming.
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