That’s the (excellent) headline they gave my latest column for Bloomberg. Should Europe have more air conditioning? Basically yes. Here is one episode:
About 90 percent of the US has air conditioning, according to one estimate, compared to only 19% in Europe. Globally, the US, China and Japan account for nearly two-thirds of all climate…
And yet it will not be easy to make Europe as cool (speaking only in terms of temperature) as America. Most of the continent faces higher energy prices than the US, and there are taxes – in France, they are 20% for AC systems.
Then there are the aesthetics. Many Europeans complain that artificially cooled air isn’t very healthy or pleasant to breathe – an opinion this American sympathizes with. (I’m not too bothered by the heat and enjoy the fresh air in Siena.) European buildings are also older on average than those in the US, and are not designed for easy AC units to be installed. So problems can arise from local laws and preservation laws.
Some Europeans also have an option unavailable to Americans if the temperature is really unbearable: They can take the entire month of August. They can swim in the Mediterranean, or take a quick flight to Finland or Ireland. The economic lesson that people adapt to their circumstances is proven by these facts.
Personally, I would prefer a world with less air conditioning, or temperatures that are not so low. And especially in Europe, I appreciate that the relative lack of AC forces people to go outside and into public spaces. But that’s just me. In short;
So the best argument an American can make for why Europe should have more air conditioning is this: because Europeans want it. There are cultural forces that are keeping the transition to more AC from happening as quickly as it should, but the transition will eventually happen. Why not speed up the pace of integration and get to where most of Europe might end up complete anyway?
My current hotel in Ireland…doesn’t have air conditioning.
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