Europeans come to America and discover air conditioning

The United States is celebrating 250 years of independence from Europe, which allows us to appreciate such things as not dying a death that could be easily prevented by having access to air conditioning.

Approaching the beginning of July, France has already seen more than 1,000 excess deaths from heat as a heat wave sweeps through Europe. German politicians are raising the notion that hospitals and nurseries should have air conditioning, which is a reminder that those places do not already have AC. Officials and media in Germany, the United Kingdom, and France shame Europeans (and Americans) for even considering the possible benefits of air conditioning, such as not dying from heat.

EUROPE’S DEADLY HEAT WAVE EXPOSES THE DANGER OF CLIMATE UTOPIANISM

A France fan is seen prior to the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

" data-large-file="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?w=696" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?w=696" alt="A France fan is seen prior to the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)" class="wp-image-4643245" style="aspect-ratio:1.5033557046979866;width:346px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg 1024w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26190706053445.jpg?resize=696,464 696w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">A France fan is seen prior to the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Even the European Commission building in Brussels has been forced to shut off its air conditioning, though only for the lower floors. Top EU officials working on the higher floors in the building still get to reap the benefits of the powers of AC, while the rest of Europe risks heat stroke.

Meanwhile, Europeans visiting America for the World Cup are discovering all the great things the country has to offer, including the sweet, cold air of an AC unit that European leaders are hiding from them. These European guests are discovering that American restaurants, stores, and even stadiums (in Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston) are fully air-conditioned, protecting Americans from the harsh summer heat and keeping America down to about 2,000 heat deaths annually.

HUNDREDS DEAD AS EUROPE BREAKS TEMPERATURE RECORDS DURING HEAT WAVE

Europe, on the other hand, sees some 175,000 heat deaths annually. The European stereotype of America as a land where everyone gets gunned down in the streets pales in comparison to the reality of what 100-degree Fahrenheit weather does across the continent. More Europeans die from heat, both in raw numbers and per 100,000 people, than Americans die from gun homicides.

Our European soccer fan friends will return to their countries when the World Cup is over with tales of how big American gas stations are, how grand American stadiums are, and how Americans over the age of 65 don’t die in droves when it gets hot outside. Quite simply, over a World Cup summer, the United States is showing Europeans that they don’t have to live this way, reading about hundreds of thousands of heat deaths every summer. Europeans can join us in the modern day, where machines give us cold air and yet another defense against Mother Nature.