My pistachio green, airless compartment had three bunk beds and, apart from the light, none of the switches - heater, fan nor loudspeaker - did anything other than move.

At first light, I started my trek up an alluvial fan into an unnamed canyon in the Cottonwood Mountains.

A ceiling fan can lower a room's temperature by several degrees. Even something as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can make a big difference in electricity bills.