Paris: Over the past few days, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives in France due to a severe heatwave, as temperatures across France, Germany and several other European countries climbed to around 40 degrees Celsius. While such temperatures are common in Asian countries, including India, the extreme heat has overwhelmed people in France, with large numbers falling ill and a significant number of deaths being reported. The situation has become a major talking point on social media worldwide. The controversy intensified after several American tourists mocked France’s handling of the heatwave online, prompting a sharp response from French officials, who in turn accused the United States of being responsible for the severity of the heat being experienced across Europe.
US Mockery Over Lack of AC, France’s Cultural Response
Several social media users from the United States criticised France over the absence of air conditioning in homes and offices. In reality, only about 25 per cent of households in France use air conditioners, while the figure stands at just 7 per cent in Germany. The majority of homes and offices in both France and Germany do not have air conditioning, and even coolers and fans are rarely used there. With temperatures soaring suddenly in countries where the climate is typically cool, the public has struggled to cope. As American social media users mocked France over this, Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar issued a sharp rebuttal, asserting that the United States bears primary responsibility for the intensity of the heatwave affecting Europe. She pointed out that the US is among the world’s largest emitters of carbon emissions, and argued that this had driven global warming, the consequences of which France was now experiencing.
What the Paris Deputy Mayor Said on Social Media
“Dear American journalists and social media influencers, many of you have mocked and criticised Paris, asking why we don’t have air conditioning in every room of our homes. But your country is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. So you bear a large share of the responsibility for global warming. We in France are now paying the price for that mistake. Ninety per cent of homes in your cities have air conditioning. But that is not our culture,” Pulvar said, adding that the United States needed to do its part in addressing global warming rather than mocking countries like France.
Shifting Public Opinion
According to a survey conducted by Ipsos, 78 per cent of people in France believe that using air conditioners is not a good practice. In the survey, only one in six respondents felt that the use of air conditioners was justified. People in France have long held the view that it is better to endure some heat for the sake of environmental protection rather than rely on air conditioning. However, the record-breaking temperatures and heatwave-related deaths recorded over the past week appear to be changing public attitudes, with a growing number of people now rushing to stores to purchase air conditioners in order to protect themselves.