Of course, Northern Europe is still colder than most regions within the United States and some countries, such as Italy or Spain, have recently seen an increase in air-conditioning. "The U.S. is somewhat unusual in being a wealthy nation much of whose population lives in very warm, humid regions," Cox told The Washington Post in an e-mail. However, the differences in average temperatures are unlikely to be the only reason for Europeans' reluctance to buy cooling systems. It's also about cultural differences.

This article is ridiculous. You can't say an entire country is "daft" because people there like to be comfortable and have the freedom to choose to be it with the aid of AC in hot weather, especially when you're in a generally cooler natural climate.

And wtf is this:

Consequently, while indoors, Europeans wear sweaters in winter, while American wear sweaters in summer," Sivak told The Washington Post.

It keeps getting better.

Studies clearly show that cooling improves work efficiency during summers as well as sleep patterns, and even reduces mortality. So why would Europeans simply relinquish such advantages?