Due to historically mild summers, few homes and schools in France are equipped with air conditioning, making them ill-equipped to face increasingly frequent heatwaves that scientists say are linked to global warming. Air conditioning has emerged as a political weather vane in France, with the main far-right opposition party criticising the government for not having prepared for hotter weather, and ecologists warning of the heavy energy demands of running air conditioners. ‘It’s madness’ Even so, the crowd at the Lidl store was mostly good-humoured, but
some disputes broke out as people tried to jump the queue. “I am not opening the store unless you leave,” a manager shouted, as customers harangued her, with another member of staff telling AFP only two air conditioners had been delivered. He refused to say if they had already been sold. WatchAir conditioning for all? France divided over response to record-breaking heatwave Hundreds more descended on a supermarket in Sevran, with cars queuing for the store blocking the centre of the poor northern suburb. It
was much the same story in nearby suburb of Livry-Gargan. “I give up, it’s madness. I abandoned my car several streets away to get there on foot but there is already a huge queue of people in the car park. It’s impossible,” one local called Lolo told AFP. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
France, heatwave, air conditioning, global warming, Lidl, far-right opposition, ecologists, energy demand