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.
Yes. Europe is cooler.
Brussels, Belgium, where EU bureaucrats hang around, is at least 10 degrees cooler in July than, say, New York City. I’m sure other population center comparisons would prove the point.
Actually, there are in Saudi Arabia several, at least 6 or 7, large manufacturers of high quality a/c units of all sizes including the split units that both cool and heat.
The Saudi manufacturers of A/C units export them not only to the GCC neighbors but to south and central America.
The Pope even came out against air conditioning.
I consider it essential!!! I run mine 24 hours a day ... 365 days a year.
People that shop in France say that it is like a sweat lodge going into the stores in the city.
Why not install A/C fer cripes sake!
They do?
Michigan summers can be bad with triple digits with very high humidity. The last couple have been cool summers.
Nonsense, tell that to spain,portugal and greece where almost very house has air conditioning
One cannot build massive, tall American skyscrapers [which we invented] without A/C ... and elevators.
also italy , pretty much every nation in Europe that has very high temperatures has air conditioning in them, also granted in iceland and greenland you will be hard pressed to find a house with conditioning or a store selling it
“According to Stan Cox, a researcher who has spent years studying indoor climate controlling”
and who paid for that
Years ago, while traveling in Europe, I got on a streetcar. It was standing room only.
I remember 3 things. The aroma of body odor was thick in the air. The standing women holding on to the safety bar above all had unshaven, thick underarm hair, & the hair on their legs was sticking out of their stockings. Yuk.
Summer in Europe can be both hot & humid. Nothing worse than sleeping in a damp bed.
We had a manager in my company who was from Holland. He apparently rarely bathed or brushed his teeth as he often stunk. The office workers got together & bought him soap, shampoo, toothbrush, & mouthwash, leaving the stuff at the foot of his door. They say it didn’t help much.
for example in Spain and Portugal all supermarkets, hotels and even public buses have air conditioning
The last French person I knew heated her home with “space heaters”. Something so arcane, most Americans probable don’t know what they are.
What about refrigerators? Do they have’em?
He might not have known what that stuff was.
“”the hair on their legs was sticking out of their stockings””
Keeps it from sliding down though
Sure you can.
You just don't get much done.
You work suffers when you are not comfortable.
This thread is absurd , European nations that have high temperatures like spain,italy,greece and Portugal have air conditioning everywhere even in public buses trains and supermarkets.
I was just in denmark and even they have air conditioning in the hotels ,houses and supermarkets,
We Americans also shower once a day and use deodorant and brush our teeth...Europeans thinks that is strange too.
Have you ever seen the European’s teeth? Obviously they think our addiction to oral health and dentistry is “stupid” too.
Columbia, SC in the summer.
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