7 days ago
- Climate
- Wall Street Journal
The New Hot Topic in European Politics Is Air Conditioning
PARIS—Rising summer temperatures have softened Europe's resistance to air conditioning and touched off a new political fight about the wisdom of installing the technology everywhere, U.S.-style.
A heat wave that hit Western Europe in June and July spurred a run on air conditioners in appliance stores across the region. The scorching temperatures came unusually early, before many Europeans had a chance to decamp to the beach for summer vacation, exposing vulnerabilities in the cities where most people live. More than 1,000 French schools closed partially or completely because they lacked air conditioning.
