For several days, record-high temperatures have drawn attention to the issue of a lack of air conditioners in Europe. Facing ridicule from Americans, the deputy mayor of Paris, the capital of France, feels somewhat vulnerable.
According to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, over the past week, as several European countries experienced record-breaking heatwaves, a cross-Atlantic online discussion has also been growing. Many Americans who live in the southern desert of the United States for most of the year mock the French and Western Europeans for being unable to tolerate high temperatures.
Regarding this, Odile Poulva, the Parisian deputy mayor responsible for international relations, recently responded on social media that the Americans' doubts about France's lack of air conditioners are 'ridiculous', and also accused the United States of being responsible for the high temperatures in France this year.
Audrey wrote, "To dear American journalists and social media 'influencers': Over the past few days, some of you have been criticizing and mocking Paris, because not every room in this city has air conditioning... Good heavens, that's absolutely ridiculous!"
As the second largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, you bear a significant responsibility for global warming and the consequences that France is facing. You are responsible for these consequences as those 90% of cities with air conditioning systems are directly implicated. - Audrey said.
Then, she listed a series of French green initiatives: "We are far from perfect, but at least over the past 25 years, we have taken measures to reduce air pollution (which causes 500,000 premature deaths in Europe each year), greening cities, energy-saving renovations, and transportation transformations."
Audrey also criticized air conditioners harshly: "Air conditioners not only exacerbate climate issues, but they also consume a large amount of energy and emit extremely dangerous perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS). We choose to use them in the most 'efficient' way possible, and develop other solutions. We focus on both short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals, aiming to reduce our environmental footprint and transform cities. This is not a one-time issue."
Finally, Audrey didn’t forget to criticize the United States again: “If every American city could make the same efforts in ecological transformation as Paris and other European cities, believe me, the world will be a better place. So, please stop preaching to us. Start from yourselves.”
Over the past week, France has experienced a rare heatwave. Most provinces have issued red warnings due to high temperatures. The highest temperature in Paris has reached close to 40 degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius. Under these extreme high temperatures, the demand for air conditioners among French citizens has surged.
However, due to factors such as climate history, building conditions, public policies, and environmental concepts, the penetration rate of air conditioning in France is not high. Data published by the French Agency for Environmental and Energy Management shows that the installation rate of air conditioning in French households ranges between 18% and 26%.
Some French people also express skepticism towards air conditioners. A Ipsos survey released earlier this month showed that 78% of French people believe air conditioners are harmful to the environment, and one in six respondents said they would rather endure the heat for the sake of the planet.
But when extreme heatwaves strike, it becomes difficult for French people to live without air conditioning. Recently, mobile split air conditioners launched by Chinese companies became extremely popular in Europe. A Chinese resident living in France posted on social media that after Paris entered summer this year, Chinese-made mobile split air conditioners were "hard to find" and stores were running out of them.
In the aforementioned post, Audrey only described air conditioners as technological devices that “aggravate climate problems,” while completely ignoring the fact that air conditioners are a vital necessity for people living under extreme heatwaves.
Your people are dying." Flipping through comments on this post, the most frequent comment is unsettling.
According to preliminary data released by the French Public Health Agency on the 28th, the number of deaths during this period of high temperatures in France has increased significantly. In just three days from June 24th to 26th, over 1,000 excess deaths were recorded.
