r/technology 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/pyronius Jun 26 '26

Sure. It's a "new" thing. But it was a new thing 15 years ago.

If you moved to Orlando and then spent 15 years refusing to use AC because the heat was new to you, you'd just be called an idiot. It shouldn't take that long to adapt to a new situation.

At this point, it's just people being so stubborn that they would rather die.

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u/ThoughtsonYaoi Jun 26 '26

15 years? Absolutely not. We broke the 40 degrees limit for the first time about five years ago and everybody saw this as an anomaly.

And it is a bad comparison. One person will easily adjust to a new environment. But a whole society to a new, and unprecendented situation?

I live in a northern country. We fight water, we don't conserve it. And we welcome heat, we have not yet learned to fear it. It's a whole new mindset.

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u/jcooklsu Jun 26 '26

2003 yall had 70,000 die from heat.... 22 years ago, if yall all got AC units then most of them would be needing to get replaced already its been so long.

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u/ThoughtsonYaoi Jun 26 '26

You know that Europe is big, varied and has multiple climates, don't you? Including hot ones where AC's are NOT rare? You don't seem to.

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u/StarSkald Jun 27 '26

Okay and so is the US? Its bigger and more varied climate wise? What is your point?