Amid record-breaking temperatures on the continent, households and businesses in Italy are increasingly installing cooling units.
America's answer to hotter summers has overwhelmingly been more air conditioning, and engineers are now looking for ways to keep people cool without driving up electricity demand. Why it matters: The need for cooling is surging. The issue isn't just how to generate more electricity — it's how to use less of it and ease demand when grids are most strained. Between the lines: A July study finds that keeping buildings cool without relying solely on AC will be critical for adapting to climate change. - AC is already nearly ubiquitous in the U.S., but that doesn't mean its electricity consumption has peaked. - "The market is saturated, but the use of air conditioning or the energy consumption for air conditioning will increase because…
Solar energy and batteries are making it easier for utilities to meet surging electricity demand during extreme heat , but prolonged high temperatures are exposing other vulnerabilities in the grid. Why it matters: Electricity demand rises as air conditioners work harder in extreme heat, while high temperatures can make parts of the system less efficient and put additional stress on equipment. The big picture: Climate change is extending periods of extreme heat just as electrification and data centers add new loads, leaving parts of the grid working harder for longer. Between the lines: Michael Webber, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, tells Axios that grid operators face a "triple whammy" under…
Passengers on a Ryanair flight from Malta to Birmingham say they were trapped for over an hour in a cabin with no air conditioning, with at least two people losing consciousness, and the airline's response has only deepened their frustration. Eva Gregory, a 16-year-old from Derby, England, described a grueling sequence of delays and heat […] The post Ryanair passengers allegedly collapse, vomit after sitting in sweltering cabin without air conditioning appeared first on American Almanac .
Passengers on a Ryanair flight from Malta to Birmingham say they were trapped for over an hour in a cabin with no air conditioning, with at least two people losing consciousness, and the airline's response has only deepened their frustration. Eva Gregory, a 16-year-old from Derby, England, described a grueling sequence of delays and heat exposure aboard Flight FR7268 on August 10 that left passengers sick, panicked, and furious. The flight was scheduled to depart Malta at 5:40 p.m. It did not leave the ground until roughly 7:00 p.m. local time. In between, Gregory and her family say they endured conditions that no paying customer should have to tolerate. Gregory told the Daily Mail that the ordeal began well before boarding. She and her…Open
We asked our readers to tell us how they've fended off heat without the refrigerant blasts of an air conditioner. Here's what they shared.
American Thinker By Ruel Domi Locked into a Marxist worldview and committed to preventing the world’s climate from changing, Europe’s elites are deliberately hurting their citizens.
The United Kingdom suffered almost 3,000 heat-related deaths during heatwaves in May and June due in large part to a lack of air conditioning.
Early data from the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency reveals that nearly 3,000 heat-related deaths occurred during the heatwaves of May and June, with 2026 on track to surpass previous records. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom suffered almost 3,000 heat-related deaths during heatwaves in May and June, due in part to a lack of air conditioning, which is discouraged by net zero climate policies. DETAIL: According to new data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) , there were 2,877 heat-related deaths in the United Kingdom across the two heatwaves in May and June 2026. This is on track to break the 2022 record of 2,985 deaths. The May heatwave, which took place between May 24 and May 27, resulted in 753 deaths.…Open
Back in the '90s, I learned the art of staying cool in Egypt. At that time, air conditioning was not common. In the extremely hot summer of 2026, how are people managing?
France reported nearly 6,000 excess deaths during a Europe-wide heatwave throughout June and July.
France’s public health agency has revealed a sharp rise in excess deaths during a record-breaking heatwave earlier this year, highlighting Europe’s lack of air conditioning and its vulnerability to high temperatures. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: - DETAIL: According to Public Health France, the country experienced 5,764 excess deaths during a historic heatwave which hit the European continent from June 17 to July 2. The agency reported 21,674 deaths during the heatwave, significantly higher than the 15,910 deaths statistically expected based on prior years. The data was released on Wednesday. This constitutes a 36 percent increase in mortality rates and the highest excess death count from a heatwave in France since 2003, when…Open
"Extreme heat" is in the forecast this summer. How do people cope if they don't have air conditioning? Here are suggestions from a heat researcher who grew up in a very hot, AC-less place.