Dear MEL Topic Readers, E
uropean summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning
so rare?
Under the searing and prolonged heat waves in June, temperatures
reached or exceeded 40 degrees in many parts of Europe. France recorded its
hottest day, with the highest temperature reaching 44 degrees, leaving dozens
who sought relief in rivers and lakes drowned. While homes and buildings in southern
European countries are heat-resistant with thick walls and small windows, those
in northern Europe are built without heat in mind. Then why don’t they install
air conditioners? Economically, ACs are expensive to run for Europeans whose electricity
bills are relatively high. Also, while ACs make the rooms comfortable, their compressors
outside make the building look ugly. Environmentally, ACs increase
planet-heating pollution because they exhaust heated air to the outside. And if
more fossil fuels are burned to run ACs, it will make it harder for Europe to
reach the 2050 climate-neutral goal. However, as heatwaves become more frequent
and prolonged, air conditioners may soon become a must-have home appliance in Europe,
too.
Read the article and learn why air conditioning isn’t so popular in
Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment