Posted on 07/23/2015 7:23:22 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
I know, I know … Europeans also believe in the fantasy that they can live in a socialist utopia of sorts and the bill will never come due too. Er, except in Greece, of course.
This “new” outrage, though, is simply the usual Euro “superiority” fantasy. They always have a better/smarter/eco friendlier idea and we New Worlders, well, we’re wasteful, uncouth and unsophisticated barbarians, or something:
Overall, it’s safe to say that Europe thinks America’s love of air-conditioning is actually quite daft. Europeans have wondered about this particular U.S. addiction for a while now: Back in 1992, Cambridge University Prof. Gwyn Prins called America’s love of air-conditioning the country’s “most pervasive and least-noticed epidemic,” according to the Economist. And according to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s getting worse: American demand for air-conditioning has only increased over the past decades.
The U.S. has been the world’s leader in air-conditioning ever since, and it’s not a leadership Americans should necessarily be proud of. According to Stan Cox, a researcher who has spent years studying indoor climate controlling, the United States consumes more energy for air conditioning than any other country. In many parts of the world, a lack in economic development might be to blame for a widespread absence of air-conditioning at the moment. However, that doesn’t explain why even most Europeans ridicule Americans for their love of cooling and lack of heat tolerance.
Well good for them. Because as we recall back in 2003, their “superiority” worked out so well for them, didn’t it?
At least 35,000 people died as a result of the record heatwave that scorched Europe in August 2003, says an environmental think tank.
[…]
The EPI calculated the huge death toll from the eight western European countries with data available. “Since reports are not yet available for all European countries, the total heat death toll for the continent is likely to be substantially larger,” it says in a statement.
France suffered the worst losses, with 14,802 people dying from causes attributable to the blistering heat. This is “more than 19 times the death toll from the SARS epidemic worldwide”, notes the EPI.
Yes, that’s right, air conditioning can save lives. Lots of lives, apparently.
I’ll bet those 35,000+ might have found air conditioning being available to be lifesaving? We certainly lose a few to heat each year, but I’ll be honest, if I’d lost 35,000+ to heat in a single summer, I wouldn’t be smug enough to bring up America’s affection for air conditioning in a negative way.
But then, we’re talking about Europe, aren’t we? The land of very short memories, it seems.
Air conditioning is a fairly new advancement. People lived there before air conditioning. They are just a lot more comfortable now.
Where the hell were you in Europe, Christiania or some other hippie central?
Because ive been to Europe many times and in spain its not uncommon to take showers two times a day
Liberals hate AC because it shifted the balance of economic power in this country from the Northeast to the South.
Classic,,,
Tell the socialist to come down to Alabama and spend a couple of days and repeat that statement. It was 95 here yesterday with a heat index of 115!!! The humidity was horrible all day. You walk outside and immediately are completely wet from sweat. People that say they don’t sweat easily will be drenched in two minutes. Idiot eurowinnies.
If they didn’t have air conditioning in Hollywood Kim Kardashians thighs would catch on fire when she walks.
Thank John Gorrie of appalachicola (spelling is questionable on both) that started the beginning of air conditioning while trying to cure “bad air” aka malaria.
I only know,of it from vintage James Burke’s Connections series and book. My history teachers in HS hated it.
“No airconditioning whatsoever, and the heat wave lasted for weeks. Temperatures in the triple digits.”
Normal summer here in Texas.
You do know that europe in general has nothing against ac? I was just in denmark and every hote ,house and even the supermarkets have ac, this article is absurd ,
its like the author went to Christiania to smoke some weed and thought all of europe was like that slum
In spain portuagal,greece and italy all trains and public buses have massive ac
Average July high, Paris: 77, 28% humidity.
Average July high, Washington: 89, 54% humidity.
Paris is warm 18% of the time in July, and hot only 3%.
Washington is warm 78% of the time, and hot 23%.
Back during the late 1980s, I deployed to Britain for a few months. They were having a “killer” heat wave.
Highs were in the low 80s.
Kiss my frigid American butt!!!
Any freepers ever traveled to Europe? Ever tried to do laundry in Europe? It’s a 4 hour task to do a simple load of laundry. And then when it’s sweltering all you can do is open a tiny little window and hope there’s a breeze.
What I want to know is how the early settlers made it through the southwest with only a single canteen of water. thats all they ever have in the movies.
Um, OK. Only one question:
Do their leaders live without AC?
I’ll do it. They replaced their kings with something much worse, and are still proud of it.
“And, as late as the 1940’s the British Foreign Office listed Washington DC as a ‘tropical capital.’”
If you have ever lived in DC in the summer, as I have, you might agree with the Brits on that one!
Europeans need to get addicted to razors and have their women shave their hairy armpits!
Another apocryphal British headline: “Fog in Channel, Continent Cut Off”
I was in Germany in the summer of 1983 when the temp got up to 85 F. & stayed there. Off came women’s bathing tops; many were worth a look.
We also believe in taking a shower at least once a day.
I have been to some places over the big pond.
Whew, they can smell ripe sometimes.
AC helps so you don’t perspire constantly.
Go Google: Europe Ice Cubes and you will find hours of reading about you have trouble getting ice cubes in Europe and air conditioning.
Sounds like it’s a lack of low cost energy ... or something. And old wives tales about what eating ice will do to you.
Regardless, I love A/C and Ice!
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