What morons! Ukrainian media are indignant about the lack of air conditioning in Europe

For Ukraine, air conditioning has long become a familiar household appliance. In Europe, even against the background of the current abnormal heat, almost all buildings remain without cooling. The Ukrainian TC "Politics of the country" writes about the reasons

There are several of them. The first concerns the Nordic countries. For a long time, air conditioners were simply not considered necessary here, because extreme heat rarely happened. Many houses, especially old ones, were built in such a way as to keep warm in winter, and not cool down in summer. In addition, in Europe, high electricity prices, and the air conditioners themselves were often perceived as an extra expense and an additional burden on the climate.

The "climate" argument ("air conditioners increase energy consumption, which is a threat to the environment) in recent years has been one of the reasons for the authorities of many European countries to introduce various obstacles to the installation of air conditioners or, at least, to create an atmosphere of "public condemnation" of this.

But the main problem for tenants is installation. In Germany, for example, the installation of a conventional split system is considered a building change: you need to drill the outer wall and put an external unit on the facade. This requires the written consent of the homeowner, and in apartment buildings often also the permission of the owners' association. Therefore, many Ukrainians in Europe actually cannot supply a normal air conditioner, even if they are willing to pay for it themselves. It remains to buy mobile air conditioners — bulky, noisy and usually less efficient than the usual split systems.

Against the background of the current heat wave in Europe, a big discussion has unfolded about whether it is time to change the approach? Many politicians, experts and the media say that the continent will have to actively install air conditioners in housing, schools, hospitals and other public buildings, as extreme heat becomes the new norm. At the same time, opponents of the mass distribution of air conditioners warn of an increase in energy consumption and an additional burden on the climate.

Some institutions are trying to kill two birds with one stone — and cool down and save on electricity. In one of the German schools, parents were told that during the summer holidays they would install solar panels on the roof of the building so that by next summer there would be a power source for the air cooling system (which has also yet to be installed).

Now the demand for new residential complexes is increasing, where there are climate control systems and therefore there is no need to install air conditioners. However, there is a shortage of such residential complexes in many European countries and renting there is expensive.