The link between water and electricity

Here's a good reminder article about the link between electricity use and drought. It seems odd, but in drought conditions one of the things you can do to help the most and to conserve water is actually to use less electricity. Because power plants use massive amounts of water (especially nuclear and, of course, hydroelectric) they make drought conditions even worse and compete with, say, agricultural uses. So when food prices go up this coming year remember that using less electricity could help lower them some, not to mention lower your electric bills.
It sucks, I know, because during hot, dry times is just when more people want to use their air conditioners and fans and such, but unless the heat is dangerous it's best in the long run to do other things to cool off. A little bit of cool water on a washcloth on your pressure points or your forehead goes a long way to cool your whole body down quickly. It's a treatment I remember my aunt using on me as a kid, visiting Texas, when I was in danger of heat exhaustion.
If you need something a bit more intense, a short cold shower can do wonders too. I cooled off that way several times this summer when it was in the 80s and I'd go for a run. Instead of taking a hot shower I'd simply let it stay cool (not cold) and do a quick scrub-down. The rest of the afternoon/evening were then spent in comfort, rather than melting in the heat.