The refrigerant used in newer air conditioners is much less harmful to the environment than the old Freon units. Here I'm in an all electric house and I buy my power from a wind power company. I try to keep it as warm as possible - what I can stand - to avoid the shock of indoors to outdoors transitions. Usually around 80^o. It hit 112^o outside today.

Bill, you were describing what in Arizona they call a swamp cooler, and it works in dry climates because it creates the humidity to help cool down with. I had one of those on a manufactured house in park housing when I lived down at the US/Mexico border. Sometimes those mats catch fire. :-/

I can't believe the deck company that is refinishing the concrete patio at the house next door continued to work yesterday and today. I'd be afraid of heat injuries. If it was my patio I would have postponed the work till cooler weather.

The experience people have of the heat is relative to what they're used to. Accusing people of being hard on the environment when they're trying to save their lives (and a lot of people will not survive these heat events) is pointless. We need to do what we can as we go forward, but need to survive right now.