PalenQ

http://www.slate.com/articles/health...ange_than.html

massimop

Slate?

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_a...y_clinton.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_a...orse_race.html

massimop

A critique of Slate's science reporting

http://www.acsh.org/news/2017/01/04/...nce-news-10678

PatrickLondon

I've certainly known French people who had a fit at the thought of opening a window at night, insisting we'd all catch flu.

And more up to date, is there not some occasional risk of infections from the reservoirs in aircon systems?

PalenQ

Remember the heat wave that struck France about a dozen or so years ago - where in Paris area several thousand older and ailing people died because of lack of air conditioning?

They had to open cooling centers?

StCirq

We don't know a single person here who has AC at home, though many if not most stores have it. The prevailing notion here is also that it is unhealthy. Same thing with putting ice cubes in drinks. Old stone houses with shutters do tend to stay comfortable in both summer and winter. When it's super-hot we use a small fan. And take siestas during the hottest part of the day.

If memory serves, most of the elderly people who died in the terrible heat wave some years ago lived in apartments in Paris and other big cities and had been left alone by their families, many of whom were at the beach. I can imagine that a Paris apartment is a lot less comfortable in heat than a stone house in the countryside.

AJPeabody

There is a new "normal" in weather. Sixteen of the 17 warmest years on record occurred since 2001, and there are only 16 years since 2001, so do the math. Global warming has arrived.

PalenQ

Global warming has arrived.>

Falling for that hoax? Trump has not - U.S. is regressing now with coal back in favor, etc.

muskoka

As a tourist anywhere in very hot and humid weather, I don't rush around. I'm not an idiot. I have asthma so AC is necessary for me to breathe well, even when taking it easy.

PalenQ

Wonder how Italians with asthma cope in things like the recent heat wave?

Macross

hetismij2, Our hotel in Edinburgh, we were on the fifth floor and there was a big bay window and two other large windows but only one that opened 6 inches. It was an older building on Rose St. Our Premier Inn in Ipswich did not have a window that opened. First time running across this in the UK. All our other accommodations this trip were on a RAF base and we had nice big windows that opened.
Living in Florida I enjoy the chance to open a window. I live with the air con on 11 out of 12 months.

PalenQ

In Edinburgh you may want to keep windows closed in summer to prevent the cold from coming in!