I Once Thought Europeans Lived as Well as Americans. Not Anymore.

I was shocked recently to learn that more Europeans die of heat death—largely due to lack of air-conditioning—than Americans die from gunshot wounds.

I’m not saying America isn’t more dangerous in certain ways: We have higher non-gun murder rates and perilous weather patterns, among other problems. But it turns out European bureaucracy is literally deadly.

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Case in point: the situation with air-conditioning on the continent.

European governments do a great deal to discourage air-conditioning, whether central AC or window units. You might need a hard-to-get permit to install an AC unit, and in Geneva you have to show a medical need for it. Or in many regions of Europe, the air conditioner might violate heritage preservation laws, or be illegal altogether. In Portofino, Italy, neighbors have been known to turn each other in for having illegal air-conditioning units. The fines can range up to €43,000, though most cases are settled out of court by a removal of the unit.