European soccer fans have descended on the United States for the World Cup in recent weeks, and many are discovering a simple American luxury that remains frustratingly elusive back home: reliable air conditioning. In packed stadiums and hotels from coast to coast, they enjoy cool, comfortable environments even as temperatures climb. In Europe, by contrast, governments steeped in net-zero dogma continue to treat air conditioning as an environmental sin rather than the century-old, life-saving technology it is.
Recent heatwaves have highlighted the human cost. In France, temperatures soared above 40°C (104°F) in June, prompting thousands of Parisians to seek relief by jumping into the city’s canals and rivers. The result? At least 40 drownings in just a few days, many tied directly to the desperate search for cooling.
This follows the grim pattern of recent European summers, where heat-related deaths have repeatedly hit 50,000 to 68,000 in single seasons across the continent.
