From ‘heat panic’ to ‘sacrificed at the altar’: Europe’s air conditioning culture wars heat up
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Cooling down has become political amid record highs, as experts say row is distracting from work of protecting lives</p><p>As the afternoon heat rose to a dizzying 41.7C (107F) in eastern Brandenburg on Sunday, taking German temperatures to unprecedented highs, Mario, 65, took precautions but did not panic. Two years ago, a fierce heatwave had prompted him to buy a powerful device that few Germans own: an air conditioning unit.</p><p>“The summers are slowly getting warmer,” says the retired handyman in Neuzelle on the German-Polish border, whose bungalow is now among the 6% of German homes with fixed air-conditioning. “And as you get older, the heat gets harder to endure.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/05/europe-air-conditioning-culture-wars-heat-up">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Cooling down has become political amid record highs, as experts say row is distracting from work of protecting livesAs the afternoon heat rose to a dizzying 41.7C (107F) in eastern Brandenburg on Sunday, taking German temperatures to unprecedented highs, Mario, 65, took precautions but did not panic. Two years ago, a fierce heatwave had prompted him to buy a powerful device that few Germans own: an air conditioning unit.“The summers are slowly getting warmer,” says the retired handyman in Neuzelle on the German-Polish border, whose bungalow is now among the 6% of German homes with fixed air-conditioning. “And as you get older, the heat gets harder to endure.” Continue reading...
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