As extreme weather events become more frequent, the summer of 2022 saw a staggering increase in heat-related fatalities across Europe, with over 61,000 Europeans succumbing to soaring temperatures. Unfortunately, projections indicate that this year could be even more devastating, with a worsening situation anticipated.
In a recent article for Quillette, Maarten Boudry argues for Europe to embrace air conditioning as a necessary solution. However, this raises an important dilemma: the continent struggles with high energy costs and a power grid that is not prepared for the widespread adoption of air conditioning, particularly in the face of escalating temperatures.
While the cultural resistance to air conditioning appears to be waning in response to the heat, there are still concerns about its potential to exacerbate the urban heat island effect and contribute to global warming. This leads us to consider Boudry’s perspective:
The harder task is the mental switch: to stop treating energy as something to atone for. Energy is the master resource, the thing that buys us nearly every other good. The whole of human history is the story of harnessing ever more energy to improve our lives and to hold the lethal forces of nature at bay. To despise energy is to bite the hand that feeds you.
The European Union (EU) made a significant geopolitical choice by distancing itself from Russian gas, an action that complicates the mass adoption of air conditioning, as it places additional strain on power supplies and the electrical grid. As reported by Euronews last year, heatwaves not only spike electricity demand but can also hinder power production.
Heatwaves don’t just increase demand for electricity; they can also reduce power production from some forms of energy. Several European countries have had to repeatedly reduce electricity production or shut down nuclear reactors due to extreme heat this summer.
When nuclear power plants are offline, hydroelectric resources dry up, and wind energy becomes scarce during heatwaves, what options remain? According to the EU’s energy mix for 2024:
In 2024, the energy mix in the EU, meaning the range of energy sources available, mainly consisted of five different sources:
- crude oil and petroleum products (38%)
- natural gas (21%)
- renewable energy (20%)
- nuclear energy (12%)
- solid fuels (10%)
However, energy costs in the EU are steep. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that “the average EU wholesale electricity price remained the highest among the markets analyzed in 2025—approximately double that of the United States and India, and significantly higher than in Australia (+65%) and Japan (+25%).”
A major factor contributing to this increase is that 57% of the EU’s energy is imported—now costing a premium due to geopolitical tensions, particularly with Russia. In contrast, the US managed to import only 17 percent of its 2024 energy supply.
As a result, many Europeans find it challenging to afford air conditioning, even if they desire the comfort it provides, particularly when compared to their American counterparts.
By Jon Queally, managing editor of Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams.
Recently, the head of the World Health Organization conveyed the dire consequences of the ongoing heatwave engulfing Europe, which French officials say has resulted in over 1,000 fatalities in just one week. This alarming trend aligns with warnings issued by climate scientists and human rights advocates for years.
In a social media post, WHO Secretary-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus remarked, “Driven by climate change and global warming, the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is becoming an almost annual occurrence. We were warned.”
Highlighting the tragic statistic of over 1,300 excess deaths reported across Europe in the prior week as temperatures reached record highs, Tedros noted that “heat stress is often termed the ‘silent killer’—and our homes, schools, and workplaces are not designed for these extreme temperatures.”
“Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at double the global average,” he continued. “Currently, 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have perished, schools are closed, and power grids are straining.”
According to the Associated Press:
Germany registered a new record for the third consecutive day, reaching 41.7 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in Neißemünde, close to the Polish border. The Czech Republic also set an all-time high with temperatures hitting 41.1 C (106.4 F).
A recent study from World Weather Attribution, a collaboration of scientists based in Europe, declared that the record-breaking heat and humidity experienced this past week would have been nearly impossible without climate change.
This rapid assessment indicated that the extreme heat seen today is 200 times more likely than it would have been two decades ago and would have been virtually unthinkable just fifty years prior.
On Sunday, French authorities reported over 1,000 excess deaths attributable to the heat in the preceding week, with at least 100 occurring in the previous 24 hours.
Just when you think you’ll get a break from this intense heat, a 3rd major heatwave is on the way & forecasts suggest it may be even worse. #Spain could see temps of 46°C, #France 45°C & the #UK near 40°C again. This is the new climate & one we are dangerously underprepared for. pic.twitter.com/8MvXUjnbO7
— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) June 28, 2026
The threat of extreme heat associated with the climate crisis is not confined to Europe. A 2024 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that heat-related fatalities in the United States surged by 117% from 1999 to 2023.
Last year, a joint analysis by The Guardian and Pro Publica suggested that energy policies during former President Donald Trump could lead to the preventable deaths of 1.3 million people globally over the next eight decades, predominantly affecting vulnerable populations in countries that contribute minimally to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel consumption.
Commenting on the catastrophic heatwave, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) explicitly called out Trump’s detrimental policies tied to climate and energy. “There is a record-breaking heat wave in Europe and hundreds are dying,” said Sanders. “Drought is ravaging America, and farmers are forced out of business. Yet, Trump dismisses climate change as a ‘hoax’ and slashes funding for sustainable energy initiatives. This is both alarming and irresponsible. He is jeopardizing the future of our planet.”
On Friday, the climate organization 350.org urged that fossil fuel companies—particularly those in the coal, oil, and gas sectors—be held accountable for the fatalities and damage they continue to inflict on the planet.
“It’s time to turn the heat on the fossil fuel giants that caused this heatwave but are doing nothing to cover the costs,” stated Lisa Rose, a campaigner with the group. “Both science and the law are clear: polluters must face the consequences of climate damage. It’s now up to our leaders to demand accountability.”
“Forcing fossil fuel companies to reduce emissions and contribute their fair share is the only sustainable response,” she emphasized. “Half-hearted measures will not address this crisis; a decisive shift to renewable energy is essential.”
