Europeans Deserve to Be as Cool as Americans
More air conditioning would make Europe more comfortable during the summer heat, but also less interesting to visit.
Il fait chaud.
Photographer: Dominique Faget/AFP
The question of whether Europe should have more air conditioning is of primary concern to Europeans, of course. But this is peak summer tourism season, so it also matters for Americans like me. Especially when it is 95 degrees Fahrenheit and I am staying in Siena in a residence with no AC. I also traveled to Florence, where the restaurants had air conditioning but (by American standards at least) it wasn’t turned up enough.
Lest I be accused of making this all about me, allow me to adduce some numbers: Some 90% of the US has air conditioning, according to one estimate, compared to only 19% for Europe. Worldwide, the US, China and Japan account for about two-thirds of all air conditioning.