European heatwave sparks US questions about lack of air conditioning

Europe is enduring a severe heat wave, with France recording its hottest day since records began—reaching highs of 108 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas—and the UK and Spain seeing their warmest Junes on record. The spike in temperatures has prompted a flood of questions from American social-media users, and a post by Patrick Collison showing a screenshot of Claude's reply garnered about 19 million views; Elon Musk called the post a "banger" and praised Lee Kuan Yew's embrace of air conditioning.

One key difference between Europe and places such as the United States and Japan is the prevalence of air conditioning. The International Energy Agency estimates roughly 20% of European households have AC, compared with about 90% in the US and Japan, so many Europeans cope with heat rather than depend on mechanical cooling.

Several factors help explain the low adoption.

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