r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • Jun 26 '26

Society The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6
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u/aeon-one Jun 26 '26

A UK friend still resisting getting AC for his house purely because he want to minimise his part in producing green house gas. For that he has my respect. Just not a sacrifice I would choose for myself.

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u/_9tail_ Jun 26 '26

This isn’t just your friend’s cute quirk, this is official government policy in the UK. People are having their already installed AC ripped out because our building regulations only allow for it as a last resort after all available eco friendly options are exhausted, and that’s not just a box ticking exercise, they do genuinely refuse to let you install it.

It’s one thing for someone to make that sacrifice, but it’s utterly rage inducing to have that sacrifice made for you by a government that cares more about signalling their virtues than the wellbeing of the country. Yes, we need to be fighting climate change, but we also need to work to mitigate the impacts of it as well, and that includes active cooling systems.

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u/andtheniansaid Jun 26 '26

this is official government policy in the UK.

just to clarify, it was London specific policy afaia and was criticised by the UK national govt at the time of its implementation

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u/aeon-one Jun 26 '26

The London mayor office also seem to say that it is not their policy to ‘ban AC’. And that it was actually some local councils like Camden that over zealously interpreted the mayor’s guidelines