Europe's resistance to air conditioning is costing thousands of lives as heatwaves intensify
By
Roger Pielke Jr.
Summary
Europe is warming at ~0.5°C per decade since the 1980s, with heat stress days rising sharply. The article argues that Europe's cultural and institutional aversion to air conditioning is causing tens of thousands of preventable deaths each summer, unlike other wealthy regions that widely adopt cooling technology. It examines the historical, architectural, and policy reasons behind Europe's resistance to AC, and makes the case that as heatwaves intensify, this stance is becoming deadly and unsustainable.
Source
Twitter / XEurope's resistance to air conditioning is costing thousands of lives as heatwaves intensifyrogerpielkejr.substack.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledTens of thousands die in European summers for want of a technology the rest of the rich world takes for granted.
The trend was flat into the 1980s, then rose sharply: 2022 through 2024 rank as the highest on record.
Europe is warming: ~0.5°C per decade since the 1980s.
You might also wanna read
Europe's Resistance to Air Conditioning Technology
The article argues against Europe's resistance to air conditioning, using an anecdote about a Pacific island tribesman's lack of reaction to
noahpinion.blog·10mo ago
France's heatwave forces political reckoning over air conditioning adoption
France is rethinking its cultural resistance to air conditioning as a heatwave pushes temperatures to record highs. With only 25% of househo
bbc.co.uk·2d ago
France debates air conditioning as heatwave solution amid cultural resistance and political divide
The article examines France's cultural resistance to air conditioning as a solution for heatwaves, contrasting the views of left-wing politi
lemonde.fr·6d ago
UK faces choice between energy-hungry AC and passive cooling solutions as heatwaves intensify
The UK faces a critical choice in responding to rising temperatures from climate change. Rather than defaulting to energy-intensive air cond
theconversation.com·1mo ago
Study: Climate change caused 16,500 excess deaths during Europe's 2025 summer heat
A new study led by LSHTM and Imperial College London found that climate change intensified Europe's 2025 summer heat, causing an estimated 1
lshtm.ac.uk·4d ago
Why Europe must invest in climate adaptation to combat intensifying heatwaves
Europe is experiencing increasingly severe heatwaves due to climate change, posing significant social and economic risks. Authors María-Paul
blogs.lse.ac.uk·1d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.