As the heat wave in Europe makes millions of people feel suffocated in poorly insulated apartments, schools and nursing homes, more and more French people break tradition to seek air conditioning.
Up to now, many people in France believe that cooling systems are harmful to the environment. But when scientists believe that climate change is igniting increasingly frequent heat waves, air conditioners are starting to sell out and even become a hot topic before the presidential election next year.
Mr. Matthieu Ruquet, 35 years old, said that he used to oppose air conditioners, but his American wife persuaded him to buy a mobile phone to keep his two-year-old daughter and dog cool after the temperature in the apartment in the suburbs of Paris reached 36°C. When his wife came to the store, there were none left.
France on June 24 experienced its hottest day since measurements began in 1947, according to the national meteorological agency. 8 out of 10 French people consider air conditioners unfriendly to the environment, according to a survey of more than 1,000 people released earlier this month.
Opponents argue that cooling consumes a lot of energy. But experts argue that environmental impact depends on the operating energy source.
Mr. Francois Gemenne, an expert from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said air conditioning is not a problem for the French environment today, as the country is not much dependent on fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants produced nearly 70% of France's electricity last year.
Urban planner Clement Gaillard said air conditioning does not cause problems as long as it is not used as the only solution. The real problem lies in the fact that the design of the building does not take into account climate change. Air conditioners also have some disadvantages, when using refrigerants, they can cause pollution and emit hot air outside.
Mr. Vincent Viguie of the Center for International Research on Environment and Development (CIRED) said that this hot air flow does not heat up the atmosphere on a global scale, but may exacerbate local heat in densely populated and poorly ventilated urban areas.
Scientists agree that other solutions to dispel the heat are reaching their limit. Before next year's elections, candidates have grasped this issue. The leading far-right figure Marine Le Pen wants to regulate everything.
The extreme heat that we are experiencing is killing people," she said. Left-wing opponent Jean-Luc Melenchon refuted, calling it a wrong solution that exacerbates the problem, and called for improving heat insulation for buildings.
