Heated discussion about the lack of air conditioning in the Paris Olympic Village: the "shame" of air conditioning? What do you think about the phenomenon of air conditioning not being widely used in Europe?
preface
Recently, a piece of news about the Paris Olympic Village has sparked heated discussions. It is reported that the apartments of the athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will not be equipped with air conditioning, but will use ventilation and fans to solve the problem of high temperatures. The decision was an immediate source of debate, with some arguing that it was irresponsible for the health of athletes and others saying it was an environmentally friendly move that could draw attention to climate change.
Not only in the Olympic Village, but also in many parts of Europe, there is a phenomenon of air conditioning not being widely used. In this seemingly isolated corner, people seem to have become accustomed to life without air conditioning, and they can find other ways to cool down even in the scorching heat of summer. In contrast, our big country in the East, whether it is the cold in the north or the heat in the south, seems to be inseparable from the "artifact" of air conditioning.
So why isn't air conditioning widespread in Europe? How do they spend their summers without air conditioning? And how should we look at the issue of air conditioning? Let's dive in.
1. The lack of air conditioning in the Paris Olympic Village has sparked heated discussions
Recently, a piece of news about the 2024 Paris Olympics has gone viral on the Internet, causing heated discussions among many netizens. This time, instead of installing air conditioning in the athletes' apartments, ventilation and fans will be used to solve the problem of high temperatures.
Many people have expressed concern about this news, believing that in the scorching heat of summer, even indoors, it is easy to suffer from heat stroke and other conditions if there is no air conditioning. Especially for those athletes who train and compete for long periods of time, this is undoubtedly a harm to their physical health.
There are also people who have a different view, arguing that this can draw more attention to climate change and can also be used as an environmental protection initiative to reduce the consumption of electricity resources and thus contribute to the sustainable development of the planet.
Whatever the original intention, this decision has caused heated discussions among all parties and has also made people start to revisit the issue of air conditioning.
Second, the "shame" of air conditioning? Why is air conditioning not widespread in Europe?
In the event of the Paris Olympics, the remarks of an economics expert also caused quite a stir. He bluntly said that people's dependence on air conditioning has reached a point of "shame", and in Europe, many places have not popularized air conditioning, and people can still live well, which is a more advanced way of life.
Many people may feel dismissive of this statement, after all, in the heat of summer, without air conditioning, it is simply torture. However, the reason why air conditioning is not widely available in Europe is inseparable from their lifestyle and architectural structure.
In many European countries, people pay more attention to the ventilation and thermal insulation of buildings, and they will use some special architectural design and materials to ensure indoor comfort, so that they can survive the summer without the use of air conditioning.
In addition, some places in Europe will also adopt the architectural concept of "passive house", which can achieve a constant indoor temperature effect through special materials and structures, whether it is winter or summer, without additional heating and cooling facilities, which is very environmentally friendly and energy-saving.
It is precisely because of this architectural structure and lifestyle that Europeans feel that relying on air conditioning is not the right way to live, and they can solve the problem of high temperatures through other means, which is the real "high-end" lifestyle.
3. How to look at the problem of air conditioning?
In contrast, our big country in the East seems to be more dependent on air conditioning. Whether at home or in the office, air conditioning has almost become an indispensable "artifact", especially in the hot summer, without air conditioning, it is simply impossible to live and work normally.
For us, air conditioning is indeed a very important device, especially in some places with extreme temperatures, if there is no air conditioning, it is easy to suffer from heat stroke or frostbite.
However, because of this, we should be more aware of the energy consumption and environmental pressure caused by air conditioning. According to statistics, about 40% of the world's electricity is used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and the greenhouse gases emitted by these equipment are also one of the important causes of climate change.
When using air conditioning, we should also wonder how to better balance comfort and energy consumption, and how to reduce indoor temperature in other ways, such as strengthening building insulation and ventilation design, or using renewable energy for air conditioning.
In addition, we can learn from European practices, such as promoting "passive house" technology, researching building designs suitable for the local climate, and strengthening public awareness of environmental protection and energy conservation, so as to gradually reduce the dependence on air conditioning without compromising the quality of life and contribute to sustainable development.
epilogue
The issue of air conditioning seems to be just a lifestyle choice, but in fact, it involves many issues such as architectural design, energy consumption, and environmental protection.
Whether it's the "Passive House" in Europe or the air-conditioned arrangement in the Olympic Village in Paris, we have been inspired to re-examine our own way of life and how to find a way that is both comfortable and sustainable under the influence of extreme climates.
It is hoped that through such discussions and conjectures, we can have a deeper understanding of the deep meaning behind the issue of air conditioning, and we can also discuss how to achieve the goal of environmental protection and sustainable development through some small changes in daily life.
I also hope that every reader can join in such discussions, share their own views and ideas, and believe that through joint efforts, more solutions can be found and more possibilities will be left for future life. What do the majority of netizens think about this, welcome to discuss in the comment area!