Record heat in France intensifies political debate over air conditioning: Marine Le Pen calls for mass subsidized rollout, while Greens concede necessity. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
With temperatures nearing 40°C, Tuesday was France's hottest day on record, sparking a rush to buy portable air conditioners. Currently, only 25% of households have air conditioning, compared to 50% in Spain and Italy and 90% in the US and Japan.
French schools and hospitals are rarely equipped. Thousands of schools have closed, and medical staff complain of intolerable conditions. Green party leader Marie Tondelier broke a taboo by saying air conditioning is needed in schools and hospitals, rejecting "anti-clim' dogma."
However, air conditioning's environmental impact is debated: it requires electricity, emits greenhouse gases, and exacerbates urban heat island effect. New building norms focus on insulation and green tech to make AC unnecessary.
A new hospital in Nantes will have AC in only half its rooms, angering unions. Paris regional council president Valerie Pecresse plans to equip all buses and trains with AC by 2032, criticizing her Socialist predecessor.