Europeans favour air conditioning over emissions cuts, poll finds

More people across six major European nations, including the UK, favour encouraging the adoption of air conditioning over keeping carbon emissions down, a survey has found, according to The Guardian. The poll, conducted after four extreme heatwaves this summer, found sizeable majorities who believe it should be easier to install air conditioning in homes.

The findings capture a tension that has become acute in Italy, where nine in ten schools lack air conditioning and the agricultural sector has lost an estimated €3 billion to extreme weather this year, as The Local Italy reported in its Thursday roundup. The trade-off between immediate comfort and long-term climate goals is playing out in homes, classrooms and workplaces across the peninsula.

For Tuscany, the survey speaks to a region that markets itself on gentle Mediterranean summers — yet has seen temperatures climb steadily, putting pressure on both residents and the tourism economy that depends on the region's image.