I have officially survived the entire summer of 2008 WITHOUT an air conditioner.

Air conditioning over summer months is one of the biggest drains of electricity.   According to Wikipedia, the following activities are the biggest consumers of electricity in households:

32% space heating
13% water heating
12% lighting
11% air conditioning
8% refrigeration
5% electronics (includes computers)
5% wet-clean (mostly clothes dryers)

By doing away with air conditioning, not only am I saving a significant amount of money in electricity bills, but I’m also doing my part to offset my carbon footprint (from having to drive a compact car around town).