From ‘heat panic’ to ‘sacrificed at the altar’: Europe’s air conditioning culture wars heat up

Cooling down has become political amid record highs, as experts say row is distracting from work of protecting lives As the afternoon heat rose to a dizzying 41.7C (107F) in eastern Brandenburg on Sunday, taking German temperatures to unprecedented highs, Mario, 65, took precautions but did not panic. Two years ago, a fierce heatwave had prompted him to buy a powerful device that few Germans own: an air conditioning unit. “The summers are slowly getting warmer,” says the retired handyman in Neuzelle on the German-Polish border, whose bungalow is now among the 6% of German homes with fixed air-conditioning. “And as you get older, the heat gets harder to endure.” Europe is reeling from its worst heatwave on record, and as it braces for the next bout of scorching weather, its lack of air conditioning has been criticised more than any other solution that governments have been slow to promote. The emerging culture war has frustrated health experts who want more air conditioning for vulnerable groups but are wary of widespread adoption in private homes. “Much of Europe’s investment has rightly gone into longer-term solutions like shade, insulation and cooling centres, rather