Europe is grappling with a significant public health crisis, recording over 61,000 heat-related deaths in 2022, positioning it as the continent with the highest per capita heat mortality globally. This alarming statistic comes despite Europe experiencing fewer days of extreme heat compared to other populated regions, according to an article published in Quillette on June 24, 2026. Andrew Hammel, author and commentator, highlighted this issue on X, stating, "First me, then this guy -- Europe is waking up to the magic of cool air!"
The Quillette article, adapted from a piece originally published in the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, attributes Europe's high heat mortality primarily to a widespread aversion to air conditioning. While an aging population contributes to vulnerability, the article notes that countries like the United States and Japan, with similarly aging demographics, have significantly lower heat death risks due to higher rates of air conditioning adoption. Only about one-fifth of European homes possess air conditioning, a stark contrast to nearly 90 percent in the U.S. and Japan.
Economist Alan Barreca's research, cited in the article, demonstrates a 75 percent reduction in heat death risk in the United States over the 20th century, correlating directly with the mass adoption of air conditioning post-1960. In European cities such as Paris or Amsterdam, authorities declare heat emergencies at temperatures as low as 27°C (81°F), where the risk of heat-related fatalities remains substantially higher than in hotter regions like Texas. The article argues that cognitive performance also declines by approximately two percent for every degree above 25°C (77°F), impacting economic activity.
The resistance to air conditioning in Europe is described as a "less is more" ideological sensibility, particularly prevalent among progressives, which frames artificial cooling as a "decadent indulgence." This perspective, the article suggests, is embedded in regulations, with conventional air conditioners often lowering a building's energy rating. Such policies disincentivize installation, leading to reliance on less efficient portable units.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is also critiqued for its public guidance, which mentions air conditioning only conditionally in its heat prevention advice, despite reporting 175,000 annual heat deaths in its European region. The Quillette piece advocates for practical solutions, including reforming energy ratings to favor air conditioners, streamlining permits, retrofitting care homes and hospitals, and establishing public cooling centers. It emphasizes that embracing clean, reliable electricity for cooling, such as nuclear power, can be more carbon-efficient than current heating practices.
