Americans' Air Conditioning Habit Is Eco-Friendly

Any American who has spent much time around visiting Europeans has probably had some version of this conversation: "Why do you use so much air conditioning?" they ask. "Your buildings are ridiculously cold. I have to wear a sweater inside in the summer! And it's bad for the environment. You shouldn't do that."

Well, if you haven't had the pleasure, the Washington Post has brought that argument home. "The weather in Washington, D.C., and Berlin, Germany, has been pretty similar recently," a correspondent in Europe writes. "There is one striking difference between the two capitals, though: Whereas many Americans would probably never consider living or working in buildings without air conditioning, many Germans think that life without climate control is far superior."