More than 1,300 people are believed to have died across Europe during the current heat wave, according to the World Health Organization. With temperatures topping 40C (equivalent to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), France alone has reported about 1,000 excess deaths over just a three-day period (June 24–26), with about 85% of the victims aged 65 or older, as per Reuters.
One X user noted the situation has become so dire that “Paris morgues are overflowing from heat-related deaths” and that “morgues are now seeking permission for refrigerated containers.”
He wryly observed, “In Europe, you only get A/C once you’re dead.”
Stung by criticism over France’s lack of air conditioning as residents swelter through the deadly heat wave, Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar took to Instagram to blame the crisis on U.S. carbon emissions.
Pulvar directed her rant at “American journalists and social media ‘influencers.'” She wrote:
For days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room. OMG, this is so rich!As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, you bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities ‘90% air-conditioned’ are not unrelated to this. In Paris, we take responsibility.We are not perfect, far from it, but at least for the past 25 years, we have implemented measures to reduce air pollution (responsible for 500,000 premature deaths in Europe each year), to green the city, to renovate for energy efficiency, and to transform transportation….If every American city made the same ecological transition efforts as Paris and many European cities, believe me, the whole world would be better off. So please, enough with the lecture. Just start doing your part. Best regards.
She went on to highlight the specific measures Paris has taken “to reduce its environmental footprint and adapt to the consequences of climate change” — an apparent effort to deflect attention from the city’s own shortcomings.
As you can imagine, the backlash to Pulvar’s message was swift. Reactions poured in almost immediately, and virtually none were supportive.
[One response had me literally laughing out loud — but unfortunately, it was too profane to publish.]
Many said they were cranking their air conditioners down a few notches after reading her post. One wrote, “Just doing my part to ruin the environment.”
Another read, “Great – now do China, you complete moron …” China is by far the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
Others pointed to her responsibility as a leader, or rather, the lack thereof. “Good leaders take responsibility for and seek solutions to their country’s problems. Bad leaders blame other countries.”
“This is a wild post, especially for a ‘leader’ of a country. Help your people? No no, this is Americas fault.”
Most of the responses referenced the great sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers in World Wars I and II. Here are a few:
Saving your country in 2 World Wars wasn’t enough?!? Now we’re supposed to save your sorry asses from the heat too?!? Piss off!Let’s not forget, AMERICA liberated your country from the Nazis, rebuilt you with the Marshall Plan, and bankroll[s] NATO so you can keep pretending you’re culturally superior. Your streets reek of piss, cigarettes, and body odor, your people are rude as hell and your service sucks, yet you lecture us about responsibility?While tens of thousands of our men are buried on your soil, just be thankful you’re not all speaking German in your hot little apartments.
Blaming the U.S. for France’s lack of air conditioning is an astonishing exercise in deflection. Using America as a convenient scapegoat won’t cool a single apartment or save a single life. At some point, leaders have to stop pointing fingers and start addressing the vulnerabilities at home.
Modern air conditioning was invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier. More than 120 years later, there is no justification for affluent nations to treat air conditioning as a luxury while thousands die during heat waves. If European governments can spend billions on ambitious climate initiatives, they can also ensure that their citizens have access to a technology that has been saving lives for over a century.
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