eglamkowski's Journal: french don't know about air conditioning...

Boortz sez:

Air conditioning was invented in 1902. It's now over 100 years later and the French still haven't installed air conditioning in their hospitals and nursing homes. In the meantime, over 10,000 old folks died in the recent heat wave while medical personnel could do nothing but spray their faces with water. I checked and I still believe that France is categorized as a western nation.

oversimplified

[ceejayoz]

So many people are making fun of the French over this, and I find it a little absurd. Not that I mind the French getting made fun of, mind you, but at least use one of the many valid arguments against them...

Most of Europe doesn't have air conditioning because it's just not needed. Same reason someone here in Rochester, NY isn't particularly likely to have it - the average summer temp is about 75 degrees.

Not only that, but France seems to actually be doing better than some US heat waves.

In 1995, move t

Re:oversimplified

[gmhowell]

I'll bash them. France has one of these wonderful socialist healthcare systems. Yet it doesn't work any better, particularly in a crisis, than the unfair, outdated, predatory US system.

Your comparison (city vs. country) is also not particularly useful. Try comparing Chicago to only Paris.

Further, your comments seem to indicate that you haven't read the article. I bet the hospitals in Rochester have AC. Ditto the nursing homes. According to Boortz, that is where the lion's share of deaths occured. Not only

Re:oversimplified

[Pirogoeth]

I agree. It's one thing for a home to not have AC. If you think you can handle the heat, then fine, your choice.

Someplace like a hospital or a nursing home however, should have a carefully controlled environment. Temperature, humidity, particulates, etc. should all be under constant watch. The people there have bodies that are under stress from their failing health. Why add one more thing to the mix?

The Chicago heat wave deaths were mostly the old and infirmed living alone [uchicago.edu], and there's still no agreemen

Re:oversimplified

[johndiii]

I'm not sure that your statistical comparison is valid. As gmhowell says, comparing a city to a country is questionable. This article [uwyo.edu] gives 525 deaths in the Chicago area, which (using your other numbers) yields a mortality rate remarkably similar to that the French experienced. To have a real comparison, though, you would need a population breakdown for the actual areas in which the temperature was elevated. The above link also notes an "urban heating" effect, which intensified the problem in Chicago (

Re:oversimplified

[ceejayoz]

comparing a city to a country is questionable

<smartass> what about the Vatican? </smartass>

More seriously: You're missing the more general point - Chicago, like France, was unprepared for unseasonably warm weather. No one laughed at Chicago when their heat wave killed people, and we shouldn't laugh at France for having the same kind of thing happen just because we don't like 'em.

He obviously did not check with me.

[GMontag]

I checked and I still believe that [f]rance is categorized as a western nation.

It is neither a nation nor is it populated by people. [franceisoc...ermany.org]