Yeah there are a lot of trees that grow up to 4ft a year (maples, firs). Buy a 10ft tree, water and fertilize it as needed, and you can shade your house in a few years.
but I wonder whether some form of dehumidification specifically, rather than just cooling, could also aid survival?
It's a lot cheaper to just become morlocks and sleep underground during the day and emerge on the surface at night.
Solar/wind power and heat pumps and personal air conditioners are a lot more costly than LED lights to work at night.
Or worse, mass migration north/south out of the hot and humid equatorial regions.
Cat predation is the primary cause too, likely about 75% of it. https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds
Creative writing -- also it costs almost nothing. Fiction, poems, whatever you want.
Painting, drawing and art -- not terribly expensive to get started, especially colored pencil and water color
Solo outdoor activities like hiking, cycling (road or mountain), frisbee golf, cross country skiing, kayaking, canoeing, beachcombing
Photography -- you can just use your phone or buy a fancy camera. Make prints, hang them around your house.
Playing musical instruments -- pick your favorite, there are instructions on YouTube for everything:
- free (singing, whistling, spoons)
- cheap (harmonica, thumb piano, plastic flute, hand drums)
- medium (guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, many strings and wind instruments, electronic music)
- more expensive (analog and modular synths, piano, the larger string and wind instruments)
Pretty good for AI. Books aren't square enough, windows aren't equal size, plants growing into the house through the windows, top of ladder is very wonky. But honestly if I didn't work with AI content regularly, I'd never notice that kind of stuff.