Europeans resist air conditioning, even amid rising deaths in high heat

TL;DR

France's recent heatwave was linked to approximately 1,000 deaths, primarily among the elderly.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent and has the oldest population, leading to a high number of heat-related deaths per capita.
Despite air conditioning being effective, only about 20% of Europeans have it in their homes, compared to 90% in the U.S.
Experts argue that widespread air conditioning use exacerbates warming by emitting more heat into the environment and is also costly due to high energy prices in Europe.
European governments are funding alternative cooling solutions like public cooling stations and wearable technology for the elderly.
Some individuals in France prefer to endure the heat for environmental reasons, prioritizing future generations.
Italy shows a higher adoption rate of air conditioning (56% of homes) and accounts for a significant portion of EU's air conditioning electricity use.

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