Europe is currently experiencing an extreme heatwave, but most people here do not have the opportunity to use air conditioning.
This year, the world is facing a concerning summer.
Not only in Vietnam but in many other regions around the globe, temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius are being reported widely. In several areas, recorded temperatures have exceeded historical extremes, leading to heat-related illnesses and fatalities.
For the first time, the people of England have witnessed a severe heat warning in dark red.
These numbers may not seem surprising to us, as in Vietnam during summer, particularly in the central region, temperatures often exceed 40 degrees Celsius almost every year. In major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on scorching days, the surface temperatures can reach as high as 59-60 degrees Celsius.
As for the United Kingdom, it is a country known for its frequent rain showers. People experience a temperate climate year-round, and for them, the need for heating is more critical than cooling, leaving them wholly unprepared for such extreme heat.
House fires due to high temperatures in England.
One consequence of these heatwaves is the outbreak of fires. In the suburb of Wennington, east London, 15 fire engines and around 100 firefighters were dispatched as black smoke billowed and several homes were destroyed. Two people were hospitalized after a fire broke out in the suburb of Dagenham, east London. Further north in Milton Keynes, a nursery also caught fire.
Due to the heightened risk of fires, local authorities have reminded residents not to barbecue, swim in wild waters, and to carefully extinguish any fire risks.
The extreme temperatures have also impacted transportation.
Airport melting due to heat.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps stated that the UK’s railway network cannot cope with extreme heat and will require “many years” of upgrades to handle this hotter climate.
Most subway stations in London also lack air conditioning, and they now offer an experience akin to a “sauna” and have, of course, suspended operations.
Subway feeling like a sauna in Europe.
Water companies in southern and eastern England have warned that increased demand has led to reduced water pressure and even supply interruptions in some households.
Additionally, the server systems of Google Cloud Services and Oracle in the UK experienced outages due to cooling issues. Both companies blamed the high temperatures for causing unexpected system failures.
Outside the UK, the extreme heat is also scorching much of Europe and parts of North Africa.
Wildfires are breaking out across Europe.
Wildfires have erupted in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Morocco, and Croatia.
Wildfires in Greece.
Indeed, it has become increasingly difficult to survive a summer without air conditioning.
Quickly traversing sun-scorched yards, everyone longs for the refreshing breeze from an air conditioner. This household appliance has seemingly become an indispensable item for people worldwide.
However, for many Europeans, that is not the case.
Europeans have long lived without air conditioning.
According to a 2021 report from the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, fewer than 5% of households in the UK have air conditioning installed. About half of the demand for air conditioning installation comes from offices, followed by retail stores and hospitals.
One of the main reasons for this issue is “cost-effectiveness“. Many countries in Europe lie at latitude 40 degrees north, where even in summer, temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius. In some places, fans are only used for a maximum of two weeks each year. In southern France, such as Cannes, home to the famous film festival, there may be more air conditioning units.
Europeans have never had to think about summer heat.
And in the UK, homes are designed without considering how to cope with summer heat. Tadj Oreszczyn, a professor of Energy and Environment at UCL Energy Institute, University College London, stated: “We are a country that needs heating, not cooling.”
Therefore, in some older buildings, hot water pipes running through the hallways may not be insulated, causing hot water from the shower to spread high temperatures throughout the apartments. Of course, this was originally intended to address the cold winter. But now, it exacerbates the threat of heatwaves.
In recent years, heatwaves have swept across Europe, but despite this, the penetration rate of air conditioning remains low. Simply because they involve high costs and complicated installations, not to mention expensive energy consumption.
Buildings in Europe do not allow air conditioning installation everywhere.
According to a user in France, installing air conditioning here is quite expensive and complicated. You cannot simply buy one and install it in your apartment; you must go through a company or a professional entity. To become an air conditioning installer, you also need a professional certification. The cost of the unit, installation fees, repair costs… all of this can add up to 2,500 euros. This figure exceeds the minimum wage in France, which is only 1,200 euros.
It becomes even more complicated if you live in an apartment, or in places with a building management. In such cases, to gain permission to install air conditioning, you must participate in a vote at the management meeting to discuss whether it would disturb neighbors, affect the overall appearance of the building, or cause damage to the property. The voting process requires more than half of the members’ agreement. Just hearing this is enough to make it seem complicated and bothersome.
People are looking for shade and water to escape the summer heat.
In the summer of 2019, sales staff at the French department store Bashiwei Electric sold just over 350 air conditioning units. And most of these were portable air conditioners. Since this type of unit does not require installation permits, their prices range from 450 to 900 euros.
Of course, public places like the Louvre Museum, libraries, supermarkets, and large restaurants are equipped with air conditioning. These have become gathering spots for people trying to escape the sweltering heat outside.
Moreover, some countries like the UK also have strict requirements regarding air conditioning installation, which mandate that units cannot be installed on the surface of the building. This means that the outdoor unit must be installed on the roof or placed on the ground. Consequently, you will need to use extended copper pipes, increasing costs even beyond the initial price of the air conditioner.
If that isn’t enough of a “shock,” in Germany, the price of a 1.5HP air conditioner exceeds 700 euros, but installation fees can reach 1,100 euros. The cost of electricity to operate it is also significant, about 0.3 euros per kilowatt-hour, while the monthly income of an average person is just over 2,000 euros.
Outdoor temperature display shows over 40 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the use of air conditioning and the climate issues that it may cause are of significant concern to European countries.
According to a 2018 report by the International Energy Agency, greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants that supply energy for air conditioning are expected to nearly double by 2050. This emission increase will contribute to global warming and could further increase the demand for fuel consumption for air conditioning units.
The UK government has also indicated that rising temperatures due to climate change may lead to increased demand for energy-intensive cooling systems, potentially undermining the country’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In Europe, you cannot install air conditioning everywhere you want.
However, when you can’t stand the heat and also do not use air conditioning, the situation can worsen significantly, even leading to fatalities.
Therefore, some scientists suggest that the solution is not to persuade countries to stop using air conditioning but to make these devices more energy-efficient, such as establishing energy efficiency standards or phasing out certain refrigerants…
It is no surprise that climate change is causing global temperatures to rise, and we are almost continuously witnessing and experiencing “the hottest summer on record” year after year.
Scientists have pointed out that heatwaves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity faster than “most other places” on Earth.
The primary cause is global warming. Today’s average temperature is approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than at the end of the 19th century, due to carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases. Global warming not only brings extreme temperatures but also impacts atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
The Earth is gradually warming, and we are the ones who feel it most.
Kai Kornhuber, a researcher at Columbia University, found that heatwaves in Europe have increased in frequency and intensity over the past 40 years and are linked to changes in the jet stream. The jet stream consists of fast-moving winds (ranging from 100 km/h to 400 km/h), narrow (a few hundred km wide and less than 5 km high), and located at high altitudes (around 11 km). In many instances, the jet stream has split, creating a region with weak winds and high-pressure air between the two branches that leads to extreme heat accumulation.
At the same time, one of the major ocean currents in the world, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is also changing.
In 2021, Dr. Efi Rousi, a senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, used computer modeling to demonstrate that as the world warms, weakened ocean currents will cause changes in atmospheric circulation, making summers in Europe drier.
The coldest places on Earth are also warming.
The existence of heatwaves in Europe may also be related to the Arctic warming faster. The temperature difference between the Arctic and the equator is decreasing, leading to reduced summer monsoon winds, allowing this weather system to persist longer.
According to a recent study by experts, current heatwaves occur three times more frequently than during the pre-industrial period and are 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer.
Stephen Belcher, head of technology at the Met Office, stated that if emissions continue at high levels, “we could see a heatwave like this every three years.”
Climate change is primarily caused by human activities.
“Heat” is always a “new” topic every year. It seems that every year we encounter headlines like: “The hottest summer on record,” “Temperature records shattered,” “Heatwave explosion”… People often question whether climate change is caused by human activities or if it is merely a natural evolutionary process.
In August 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on climate change. The report indicated that about 95%-100% of global warming is due to human activities, while about 0-5% is attributed to natural factors.
And it is becoming a disaster for many countries, with extreme heat phenomena occurring more frequently, lasting longer, and becoming more severe.
At the recent Petersburg Climate Dialogue, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his views on the climate crisis, stating that “countries must act immediately.”
“Half of humanity is at risk of floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires. No country is immune to the wave of these impacts. Yet, we continue to rely on fossil fuels. What troubles me most is that we cannot work together as a multilateral community when facing this global crisis…” he stated.
As heat becomes a common global issue, the solution does not solely lie in air conditioning units. We have the power to choose—collective action or collective suicide. Everything is in our hands.
