Intense heat is increasing across the globe.
This is affecting some of the most vulnerable populations in developing countries as well as places like the United States, where middle and lower income people are struggling to keep their homes cool.
One person posted their issues keeping their home cool on the Reddit community r/Frugal, which has 3.2 million members.
"I just can't run multiple window units and drive up the bill with an extra $100 or more for the next 3 months," the Redditor posted.
July 3 was the hottest day ever recorded on the planet, according to the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The southern United States has experienced severe heat conditions due to an extended period of high-pressure system.
China has also faced a persistent heat wave with temperatures surpassing 95 degrees Fahrenheit. In North Africa, temperatures have reached nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Middle East witnessed unusually intense heat during the hajj religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Guardian reports.
Although the El Niño phenomenon has been a contributing factor in the recent heat waves, climate experts agree that the burning of oil and gas for energy and transportation, as well as our agricultural systems, are the key drivers of our warming planet.
For many people, staying cool is becoming increasingly challenging. But these Redditors provided plenty of advice for the original poster.
"Shift your life to the cooler parts of the house like the basement for the summer. Close the doors and window shades for the hot parts of the house and isolate them. Better yet, focus on cooling only one room and stay in that room, rather than the whole house," one Redditor wrote.
Another added how during the day they "keep all the shutters closed to keep the sun from heating up the rooms. I wake up an hour earlier for work to vent the rooms in addition to the evening ventilation."
Some more creative advice came from this commenter, who wrote: "I also keep a marble rolling pin in the fridge and periodically hold it to cool down and use ice pack thingies that strap around the waist that are meant to be used for back pain."
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