Summary of Key Points
Recently, several European countries (mainly the UK, France, and Germany) have experienced rare extreme heat in June, with temperatures reaching 41.7°C in some areas. However, due to the extremely low penetration rate of air conditioning (only 26% in France), daily life, healthcare, and transportation have been thrown into chaos: subways have become sweltering and smelly, hospitals refuse to install air conditioning for elderly patients, tram tracks have melted, and equipment has malfunctioned. The reasons why Europe traditionally did not use air conditioning—environmental concerns, cultural prejudices, and political correctness—have collapsed in the face of the harsh reality of the heatwave. Now, there is a surge in demand for air conditioning, with prices soaring and supplies running out. The once revered notion that "not using air conditioning in Europe is a symbol of civilization" has been completely reversed, and officials have begun to order air conditioning units to address the crisis.
How Bad Is It Without Air Conditioning in Europe During Extreme Heat?
Days with temperatures of 38-40°C are truly unbearable without air conditioning:
- Paris subways are like mobile saunas: People are packed tightly together, creating a mixture of sweat and body odor that is almost unbearable.
- Hospitals have become hot traps: Elderly patients in France are dying from the heat, but their families are refused permission to bring in air conditioners due to reasons such as "injustice to other patients," "electrical system aging," or "lack of regulations," with political correctness taking precedence over patient welfare.
- Transportation is on strike: Tram tracks in Leipzig, Germany, have melted from the heat, and traffic lights in Berlin have distorted. Even a climate conference held by King Charles of England was canceled due to the extreme weather conditions.
- People resort to makeshift solutions: Germans are soaking in ditches or scrambling for ice cream at empty supermarkets; Britons prefer to stay in air-conditioned companies (with some managers even urging employees to stay late) rather than go home or to hospitals.
Why Didn't Europeans Want Air Conditioning in the Past?
It's not that they couldn't afford it; rather, their attitudes were influenced by certain beliefs:
- Environmental and political correctness: Some argue that air conditioning is "unnatural" and "unenvironmental," with some going so far as to claim it controls people. The French Minister of Ecology once said that installing air conditioners everywhere would not solve the climate crisis, yet her own office has central air conditioning (a clear case of double standards).
- Cultural prejudices: Air conditioning is seen as "American" and lacks French/European elegance. In the Netflix series *Emily in Paris*, a character says that using air conditioning goes against the "French way."
- Architectural restrictions: Many old buildings (from the 18th-19th centuries) do not allow the installation of outdoor units to preserve their cultural heritage.
- Historical climate patterns: Europe used to have cooler summers, so there was no need for air conditioning. However, with global warming and El Niño, extreme heat has become the new norm, and old ideas no longer apply.
Is It Hard to Install Air Conditioning Now?
The heatwave has forced Europeans to reconsider their stance on air conditioning, only to find that it is extremely difficult to obtain:
- Soaring prices and shortages: Air conditioner prices have increased dramatically, with some units selling for up to 39,000 yuan (about $6,400). Even display units in stores are sold out.
- Speculation and price gouging: Some people take advantage of the situation by hoarding air conditioners and selling them at inflated prices.
- Installation challenges: Germans who bought Midea air conditioners found that the outdoor units were placed inside the house, failing to cool the room; a German netizen joked, "It heats up instead of cooling!" A Google translation error added to the confusion.
- Shortages of other cooling options: Fans in the UK have also sold out, leaving people with no alternative but to watch videos of fans rotating as a form of relief.
The Reversal of a Once-Held Sacred Belief
The idea that Europe's lack of air conditioning is a sign of cultural heritage has been thoroughly debunked:
- European sarcasm: People are now criticizing their own country, creating memes like "Perfect Paris Thursdays" that mock the hypocrisy of turning off air conditioners to save the climate while sweating in unair-conditioned cafes.
- Changing attitudes: The penetration rate of air conditioning in France has risen from 14% in 2017 to 26% in 2023, with more and more people installing units outside their homes. The French Minister of Health has finally ordered the purchase of 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals, acknowledging that cooling is a basic necessity.
- Comparisons with other countries: Europeans even joke that pig farms in China have air conditioning, suggesting that pigs are treated better than patients in French hospitals.
Reflection: Environmental Protection Cannot Negate Basic Human Needs
This heatwave has exposed the hypocrisy of political correctness:
- Environmental protection does not mean ignoring human needs: Addressing the climate crisis is important, but we cannot ignore people's health by refusing to provide basic comforts like air conditioning.
- Double standards must be avoided: Officials who criticize air conditioning as harmful to the environment while using it themselves should be held accountable for their hypocrisy.
- Adapting to change is key: Global warming means more frequent heatwaves, and installing air conditioners is a rational response. Europe's experience shows that respecting people's basic needs is far more important than empty slogans.
This heatwave is not just about weather; it's also a clash of ideologies. When "political correctness" confronts the need for survival, the latter always prevails. After all, living and staying healthy are the fundamental prerequisites for everything else.