The air conditioning in my apartment has been broken for about a month now.  I live in South Texas, and the daily temperature is already approaching 100 degrees.  Right now, 10 PM, the thermostat in my house reads 93 degrees.  I have the ceiling fan on, and a door open for some heat exchange.  

Short of going out and buying 10 rotary fans, anyone have any suggestions for reducing temperatures, and thereby saving electricity when the A/C does get fixed, that are practical in an apartment?  As it is, I fear I could be putting a drain on water resources just by replenishing the sweat. =D

Thxs for responding.  Yes, I am a Doomer, but desperately trying to get people to prove me wrong by their aggregate actions.  I am like Matt Savinar-- haven't yet seen sufficient proof to become more optimistic in my outlook-- yet would be highly appreciative, and greatly relieved to see massive planetary efforts at Powerdown and ecosystem reform.  In short, still waiting to see if humans are smarter than yeast. Time will tell.

I think most people, even on forums like TOD, are not yet considering the full implications and ramifications of Peak Everything and Overshoot: it is so very much more than just Peakoil!  When global warming, mass extinctions, mass migrations, topsoil depletion, water shortages, pollution, continuing population growth, growing militarism, and all resource depletions are taken into full consideration-- there is HELL to pay.

I believe that for humanity to even have a chance at a peaceful Powerdown: the current nine gallons/day American energy avg. should be rapidly heading to the Bangladeshi avg. of two cups of detritus/day within the first three years of the postPeak downslope, but the sooner the better.  We can use all the natural daily biosolar energy we want [PV, wind, tidal, geothermal, etc] but we should be relentlessly trying to save ancient sunshine and our ecosystem for the Seventh Generation Ahead.  Will we ever learn?

Yes, I strongly agree with you on population control: TRUE ROOT CAUSE--more time and worldwide taxdollars should be spent on this ESSENTIAL cultural change than anything else, but this is probably the least discussed governmental topic on the planet. AFAIK, only China has made an attempt of proactively limiting its numbers by questionable legislative fiat, instead of widespread education on the primary reasons to create a non-violent voluntary cultural change.

Consider my now numerous TOD postings on the need for the creation of biosolar habitats distinctly isolated from detritovore habitats, and protected by what I call the Earthmarines.  TODers ignore widespread discussion because they are myopicly focusing on energy to the exclusion of the ecosystem.  Hello Folks--the health of the ecosystem is far more important than maintaining the Energy Fiesta, even if we make great strides at Powerdown!  I believe that both these forces must be tied together if we hope to have any reasonable peaceful mitigation in the days ahead.

Most of us can live without exuburant energy, but very few can live if we have eaten the last raspberry, goat, poodle, salmon, pigeon, rodent, and cockroach, etc on the planet.  Recall the recent MSNBC posting on SST warming and coral reef bleaching-- sounds like a oceanic species Dieoff to me.  More proof of suboptimal planning as we daily squeeze through the Dieoff bottleneck.  Are we going to wait until there are no more fish, crabs, and clams in the stores, or are we going to get ahead of the game?  C'mon People--times awasting.

So far, the bravest people on the planet, IMO, are the indigenous tribespeople throwing wooden spears at the more 'advanced tribes' in a futile effort at keeping them from raping their habitat of its resources.  They truly understand the necessity of LARGE habitats to allow adequate space for other species.  WE did too, at an earlier time, by setting aside land for national parks and forests.  But now, because of increased headcounts, pollution, exurban growth, and increasing mechanized forays into these lands for visits and resource grabs-- the total 'freespace' for other species is declining.

Powerdown alone with our presently massive headcount is like setting up a huge patchwork of scattered one acre national parks--insufficient space and resources for the vast interlocking 'web of life' to strongly rebound and support harvestable biosolar human living--it requires a contiguous geographic area and drainage basin of sufficient size for sustainability and defensibility from being overrun.  Ideally, it should include significant elevation variability so the myriad of species can shift according to the rising GH temperature, yet still retain optimal cross-specie interaction.  As mentioned before, the biosolar secession of the NE & NW parts of the US, and Alaska too, would be a great initial breakthrough: "A small Powerdown step for Mankind, a giant leap for the Ecosystem".  Never forget that the other species have to squeeze through the bottleneck with us too.

The Earthmarines will be dedicated to protecting the biosolars from being overrun AND protecting the other species in the habitat-- think Govt. treehuggers.  Please contrast this idea to the sad African system where the corrupt officials, police, and militias are the worst offenders and polluters against struggling biosolar tribespeople and natural habitats.

Economic collapse due to decreasing net energy and global warming has already setoff human migrations--consider the massive influx and rising concerns over illegal immigration in this country.  Google Zimbabwe, Haiti, Tanzania, and other third world countries suffering a brain-drain.  Unfortunately for the poor people, most of them cannot migrate very far: no cars & no wealth means mostly dying in place and being abused by the worst societal elements.  The sad first world response is indicative of the atrocious sentiment, "We see the rising floodwaters, secretly hoping the others drown".

Bob Shaw in Phx,AZ  Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?